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Human remains found near Manchester United’s club academy and old training facility, The Cliff

A grim discovery has been made at the nearby nature reserve.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 5th April 2024

A woodland area in Salford has been closed off after human remains were reportedly found right near Manchester United’s old training ground, The Cliff.

Discovered in the Kersal Wetlands, just yards away from Man United‘s former first team facility where club academy operations and some matches still take place, Greater Manchester Police and forensics officers are now investigating what are said to be human remains left wrapped in plastic.

According to The Telegraph, who first reported the story on Friday, 5 April, the evidence was found around 5:30pm on Thursday afternoon and a murder investigation is now underway after a pathologist confirmed the remains to be that of a human.

Although details are still scarce, having first been reported as an ‘unknown item’ by passers-by, it is now thought that they had been left in the area for anywhere between 24 to 36 hours.

Local police address the media after human remains are found near The Cliff Training Ground in Salford.

No clear identifying marks were found on the remains and specifics like gender, age and ethnicity of the person have not yet been revealed.

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A post-mortem is due to be carried out but as no full body has been discovered, authorities will likely be unable to determine a cause of death, however, the nature of what was found means “it would not be possible for the victim to have survived”.

For now, a large police cordon has been put in place around the predominantly wooded surround which covers around 32 hectares just north of Manchester city centre.

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Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes from GMP’s Serious Crime Division said in a statement that the area will remain sealed off to the public “for some time, whilst we work to unravel what exactly has happened here.”

human remains found in kersal wetlands salford
body found at the cliff training ground
The human remains are said to have been found just yards from The Cliff facility. (Credit: The Manc Group/Anthony Parkes via Geograph)

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DS Hughes went on to add: “I want to assure the local community that although this is a disturbing and unsettling find, we have a large visible presence in the area to complete enquiries, provide reassurance and to listen to any concerns.

“I encourage anyone who may have relevant information to speak to these officers. The victim has not yet been identified, but we know that behind this discovery there will be a family who have lost a loved one, and we want to make sure they are supported as quickly as possible.

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“Anyone who thinks they may have witnessed something suspicious in the Kersal Dale area over the last few days could be key to unlocking what happened. I would ask that anyone who has any information that may be relevant to our enquiries, no matter how big or small, comes forward by calling 101 and quoting log number 2695 of 4 April 2024.”

As always, any details you may have and feel could be useful can also be passed on anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers online or by calling 0800 555 111.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/GMP/Anthony Parkes (via Geograph)

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Prince Andrew set to lose titles and leave Royal Lodge residence

Danny Jones Danny Jones Prince Andrew stripped of all royal titles

Prince Andrew is officially set to lose his royal titles and vacate his current residence, as per a direct communication from Buckingham Palace.

Most crucially, the statement makes a rather notable acknowledgement of the abuse claims still looming over the 65-year-old.

The decision was shared by the Royal Family and the likes of the BBC on Thursday evening, 30 October, with confirmation that the King’s brother will no longer be known as a prince, nor will he live at the Royal Lodge in Berkshire.

With countless people reacting online, this public address is a watershed moment for the monarchy.

The official update on behalf of King Charles III reads as follows: “His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew.

Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence.

“Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease, and he will move to alternative private accommodation. These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.

“Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”

You can find out more about the formal process now said to be underway in more detail down below.

As yet, there has been no official response from Andrew Windsor or his representative regarding the breaking news.

Elsewhere, it is said that his daughters, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, will retain their own royal titles, as they are still the daughters of the son of a Sovereign (in accordance with King George V’s Letters Patent of 1917).

As for the now former Duke of York, the King’s younger brother and third child of the late Queen Elizabeth II, he is now preparing to relocate and settle into the royal estate at Sandringham.

This move is being privately paid for by the King, according to reports.

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Featured Images — Chatham House (via Flickr)

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Salford Red Devils supporters meet winding-up adjournment with a petition of their own

Danny Jones Danny Jones Salford Red Devils fans start petition to get rid of owners

Large numbers of Salford Red Devils supporters are currently rallying behind the push to remove their current ownership group, meeting yet another delay to the winding-up petition with a petition of their own: one that would see the owners kicked out of the club, full stop.

Shared online yesterday, the ‘Salford Red Devils Fans Against Jacobsen Venture Group’ (JVG) petition has amassed more than 1,000 signatures and is rapidly gaining traction.

This latest protest comes after a third adjournment of their wind-up process, giving the local rugby league side a little more time to find the funds they owe in unpaid debts and taxes – money that JVG have claimed is set to arrive imminently as of an update earlier this week.

But these supposed assurances all sound far too familiar and are clearly no longer enough for most fans. They no longer care about future investment from those currently behind the scenes: they just want them gone for good.

For context, in addition to more than £700,000 in outstanding fees owed to HMRC, the 152-year-old sporting organisation is also estimated to owe in excess of £5m to various other creditors.

While the consortium led by Swiss businessman Dario Berta (who technically ‘completed’ a takeover of the already financially struggling club back in February) insisted that the bulk of that amount was already hanging over the club before they took control, they have yet to inject long-promised funds.

As a result, after a third stay of execution earlier this week – but one that has done little more than prolong this long-drawn-out uncertainty – most fans have simply had enough.

Following up with a lengthy open letter on Wednesday evening, 29 October, the increasingly militant fan group known as The 1873 said of the potential new funding, “Let us be absolutely clear, we have heard all of this before.”

Even poking holes in the board’s own statement, noting that it suggests that “funding has been formally secured” before noting that it has not yet officially arrived.

“This kind of vague language”, they say, “is exactly what supporters have been subjected to for months: a cycle of empty promises and missed deadlines.

Helping spearhead the ‘JVG Out’ petition, leading member Nick Holt went on to tell BBC Sport Manchester that the patience and blind faith have simply run out.

The 1873 went on to write: “Back in September, the same individuals told the courts that funding would arrive ‘within 10 days’. It never did. In August, at the meeting with The 1873, they claimed money would be in place by the end of that month. It wasn’t.

“Every single time, the same promise and every single time, the same failure to deliver. False hope and no real investment. It is vital [that] supporters understand what is actually being proposed. The owners are not clearing the club’s debts, including the millions they have personally run up.

“Instead, they intend to roll all debts into one high-interest loan, a move that only deepens the long-term financial hole. How do they plan to service such a loan? Next season, the club’s central distribution is set to drop from around £1.3 million to less than £100,000.”

Noting that the recent IMG grading drop and subsequent relegation from the Betfred Super League will mean a significant drop in revenues across the board, they have quite rightly asked where the higher-ups expect to find the funds to make their already heavily overdue repayments.

“Season ticket sales are expected to collapse under the current ownership”, they continue, “and major commercial sponsors will not associate with this regime.

“To claim that this ‘funding’ secures the future of a 152-year-old club is not just misleading, it is an insult to every supporter who has kept this club alive through generations.”

Salford Red Devils have been dropped from the Super League
A petition like this and further demonstrations were guaranteed from the moment Salford Red Devils were relegated.

The impassioned response from the group signs off by adding: “The ownership’s reference to a so-called ‘strategic plan’ for a return to Super League in 2027 is beyond belief. Where is this plan? Why has it not been shared with supporters?

“At this moment, there is no head coach for 2026, no contracted players, and no football department infrastructure. To talk about a Super League return within two years is pure fantasy […] The reality is simple: This ownership group has repeatedly failed to deliver on its promises.

“It has mismanaged and misled, time and again. Every new statement only confirms how detached they are from the damage they continue to cause.”

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Most drastically, they insist that supporters will no longer “be fooled” nor continue to recognise the current ‘stewards’ failing to live up to that title by giving their own time and money to the regime, urging fellow fans to refrain from renewing season tickets, purchasing any merchandise, or attending games.

It’s a bold stance, to be sure, but it’s clear that those most fiercely loyal of supporters are looking to wrestle back control however they can; if you’re one of them, you can sign the petition HERE.

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Featured Images — The 1873 Group (supplied)

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