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GMP warns rowdy Manc football fans not to ‘ruin’ the FA Cup final for the ‘real’ supporters

"Don't let a moment of poor judgement lead to a criminal prosecution."

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 23rd May 2024

Rowdy Manchester football fans are being warned not to “ruin” the FA Cup final for the “real” supporters this weekend.

History is repeating itself, as Manchester United and Manchester City are training hard in preparation to face each other again in an all-Manchester final of the Emirates FA Cup at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 25 May.

2023 was the first time the two Manchester clubs battled it out for the FA Cup title in the final in the 153-year-old football competition’s illustrious history, and it was victory for the Citizens, with the trophy forming a crucial piece of their treble-winning season… but, in what seems to be a repeating turn of events, 2024 is the year of the re-match.

To no surprise, tensions are building by the day as it’s all set to be a massive day for football-obsessed fans in our football-obsessed city.

Some 90,000 fans are expected to be heading to England‘s national stadium for the game on Saturday – with rival supporters urged to take different travel routes to prevent traffic build-up and keep everyone safe – but thousands more will be watching it out and about across instead Greater Manchester.

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And now, with only a couple of days to go until kick off now, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has issued a warning to all those potentially-rowdy ‘football-obsessed’ fans who are planning to watch the game in public places around the region that they should avoid “ruining the day” for the “real” supporters.

Police said supporters at last year’s final were “a credit to both teams”, and is pleading with them for the same the time around.

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Manchester City and Manchester United will face each other in the FA Cup final on Saturday 25 May at 3pm / Credit: The FA

“This final promises to be a great day for our city, and we want to ensure everyone enjoys the day, whether that is in Manchester or in London,” commented Chief Superintendent Colette Rose, who is GMP’s Gold Commander for the FA Cup final.

“GMP has been working closely with partners, including other including the Met and West Midlands police forces, the UK Football Policing Unit, and British Transport Police, to ensure the day runs smoothly and that everyone can enjoy the game safely. Please also only travel down to London if you have a match ticket, as there are no alternative sites for fans to gather in large numbers. 

“There will be a large police presence across the city of Manchester, as we always have for high-profile events, to ensure the safety of everyone, and we will also have officers on the routes down and in London.”

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Speaking directly to fans, Chief Superintendent Rose continued: “It doesn’t matter where you are intend to watch the match, don’t let a moment of poor judgement lead to a criminal prosecution or a football banning order. 

“We will take a firm approach to anyone ruining the day for the real football fans. If you have any concerns, please speak to one of our officers who’ll be more than happy to assist where possible. 

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“Be safe, be responsible, look out for each other and enjoy the game.”

Featured Image – GMP

News

Plans approved to transform historic Grade II-listed Manchester building into £6m ‘innovation hub’

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Plans to turn a Grade II-listed building in Manchester city centre into a £6 million “innovation hub” have been given the green light.

Manchester City Council has approved “transformational plans” for the historic 117-119 Portland Street building in the heart of the city centre, and the ambitious £6 million project will now see the Grade II-listed building become the so-called “gateway” into Manchester’s innovation district, the Oxford Road Corridor.

Part of Bruntwood SciTech’s collection of refurbished Victorian warehouses, this new workspace is expected to be a “central hub” for collaboration, wellness, and events.

Developers want to make it a “vibrant social community” for all the businesses within the building.

The 35,000 sq ft building will be refurbished into a multi-let workspace that provides a mixture of offices for up to 80 people – with each offering a range of flexible options for companies working in the creative, tech, and media sectors.

Nine fully-fitted workspaces will be created in total, each being equipped with kitchens, meeting rooms, and breakout areas.

The innovation hub will retain many of its original features that pay homage to its rich history.

Dating all the way back to 1886, the building was formerly home to Schill Seebohm & Co shipping merchants, which used it as a warehouse to showcase, sell, and ship its Manchester-made textiles, and now it’s set to become another inspiring space for businesses to grow and thrive.

Plans have been approved to transform a historic Manchester building into £6m ‘innovation hub’ / Credit: Bruntwood SciTech

State-of-the-art shared facilities and amenities will also be incorporated into the new-look building as part of a “reimagining” of the ground and lower ground floors areas – including breakout spaces and lounge areas, an on-site gym, boutique gym-quality shower and changing facilities, and an auditorium for events.

Developers will also be improving the historic building’s sustainability credentials in a bid to bring it into the “modern age”.

Richard Roper, who is the Associate Director and Asset Management for Bruntwood SciTech, said the approval of these plans marks the next “exciting phase” in the partnership’s vision to “enhance and improve” workspaces across Manchester city centre.

Developers want to make the Grade II-listed building a “vibrant social community” for all / Credit: Bruntwood SciTech

“Our cluster of buildings on Portland Street are uniquely positioned to become the connecting junction between the Oxford Road Corridor and our city centre innovation hubs, further supporting businesses to access a city-wide innovation ecosystem,” he added.

“This cornerstone of the city has been lacking investment into creating workspaces that galvanise collaboration, creativity, and ingenuity, and offer like-minded communities to connect with.

“We hope to deliver that at 117 Portland Street.”

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Work to transform 117-119 Portland Street is anticipated to get underway from spring 2025.

Featured Image – Bruntwood SciTech

News

Former Manchester police officer who pursued relationship with ‘vulnerable’ woman jailed

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A former Manchester police officer has been sentenced to jail time after pursing a relationship with a “vulnerable” woman.

Shamraze Arshad, from Bolton, was sacked from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) back in January of this year, following a trial in July 2023 – where he was found guilty of perverting the course of justice and data misuse as part of the same case.

Police investigations into Arshad’s conduct first began in July 2021, and his sacking from the police service came after a routine audit check by GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate (PSD) found that the 38-year-old – who was a PC based at Longsight, at the time – had been using police systems while off-duty and without a policing purpose.

Subsequent enquiries found he had been making a large volume of contact with a particular number from his work phone, and GMP was able to establish that this number was connected to a woman who Arshad had previously responded to after a 999 call about concern for her welfare in October 2020.

Following this, Arshad was arrested and suspended in July 2021.

Despite being released on bail with conditions not to contact the woman, Arshad went to her address and told her housemates to pass on a message that she shouldn’t tell the police anything about their relationship, before he was arrested the following day for attempting to pervert the course of justice, and then subsequently later charged.

GMP officers spoke to the woman, who bravely gave an account of the sexual relationship that Arshad pursued with her.

Following a retrial at Liverpool Crown Court last Thursday (13 June 2024), Arshad was convicted by a jury of attempting to pervert the course of justice, data misuse, and misconduct in a public office, and was sentenced to four years in prison.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Jones, of GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate, said Arshad “abused his position as a police officer” and is a “disgrace” to the police service.

A former Manchester police officer who pursued a relationship with a ‘vulnerable’ woman has been jailed / Credit: GMP

“I want to thank the courageous woman in this case for providing us with the evidence that was so important in ensuring that Arshad is rightly held accountable for the full extent of his crimes,” DC Jones commented following the trial and sentencing last week.

“He abused his position as a police officer to pursue a sexual relationship with a vulnerable woman who he was supposed to protect in her time of need. This is an unforgivable breach of policing standards and it’s right he will never be trusted to wear a police uniform again.”

DC Jones said Arshad’s jail term is “fully deserved”.

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“He is a disgrace to the police service and does not represent the thousands of professional, honest, hard-working police officers across Greater Manchester who continue to protect the public each and every day,” DC Jones continued.

“As soon as we were legally able to, we sacked Arshad and, now that criminal proceedings have been concluded, we will invite the Deputy Mayor to strip him of his police pension.”

Featured Image – GMP

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