Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed a series of replacement and alternative travel options for football fans this weekend.
It’s the highly-anticipated Manchester Derby this weekend, with both the red and blue side of the city set to make their way to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday 6 March for a 4:30pm kick-off, but unfortunately, significant disruption is expected on Metrolink services that football fans need to be aware of and plan around accordingly.
Due to what is branded as “essential engineering” taking place at Deansgate-Castlefield, TfGM has said that no trams will run between Chorlton, Stretford and Manchester city centre on Saturday and Sunday (March 5 and 6).
Services to Manchester Airport, Ashton, Eccles, and Rochdale will also be amended, with some set to terminate early.
As a result of these planned works, TfGM has confirmed that bus replacement services will instead be operating every 10 minutes on Saturday and 12 minutes on Sunday on the following routes:
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Chorlton – Victoria
Stretford – Piccadilly via Cornbrook
Wharfside – Piccadilly via Cornbrook
East Didsbury Park and Ride – Etihad Stadium (Sunday only)
After the game, trams will not serve Holt Town and Velopark until crowds have cleared from the Etihad Campus stop.
Big Manchester Derby this Sun (6 March) with #ManCity looking to extend their lead at the top of the table and #ManUnited aiming to stay in the top 4!
With improvement works taking place, make sure you miss none of the action by planning ahead.
— Manchester Metrolink 🚊 😷 (@MCRMetrolink) March 3, 2022
Alongside the tram replacement buses, a bespoke shuttle bus service is also being laid on between the East Didsbury tram stop and the Etihad Stadium, especially for match-goers, with the double-decker buses set to depart from East Didsbury every 10 minutes from 2:50pm and 3:10pm, returning every 10 minutes from 6:30pm to 7pm from the bus stop on Ashton New Road outside the stadium after the game.
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These shuttle buses will not stop anywhere en route, however.
For those who are planning on making their own way to the match via car, TfGM has also advised fans based off previous weekend matches at the Etihad, that Alan Turing Way, Pottery Lane, Ashton Old Road, and Mancunian Way all had an additional 12 minutes journey time 90 minutes prior to kick off.
Significant disruption is expected on Metrolink services that football fans need to be aware of this weekend / Credit: Manchester City
Giving football fans more of an insight into the travel circumstances and what to expect ahead of Derby day, Danny Vaughan – TfGM’s Head of Metrolink – said: “Our contractor is replacing a critical set of points at Deansgate Castlefield over the weekend to improve the reliability of the network [but] unfortunately, it requires some disruption on Saturday and Sunday as trams from the south of the network will have to stop short of Deansgate Castlefield.
“A strengthened tram service will be in place for the Manchester Derby, with trams running between Bury and Ashton [and] there will be a six-minute double tram service from Piccadilly to Etihad.
“A bus replacement service will be in place throughout the works, with services running from Stretford and Wharfside stops to Piccadilly, and from Chorlton to Victoria, and an additional bespoke shuttle service from the Park and Ride at East Didsbury to the Etihad Stadium will be in place before and after the match on Sunday.”
He also added that he’d encourage people to check the TfGM website for the latest travel information “before travelling” over the weekend.
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The Manchester Derby will kick-off at 4:30pm on Sunday 6 March / Credit: Flickr
Despite these Metrolink engineering works being in the pipeline for a few months now, some fans have still been angered by the disruption it will cause to what is always one of the most important days in the city’s football calendar, with many taking to Twitter to share their viewpoints.
One Twitter user wrote: “We’re all aware that essential work needs to be carried out on the system, but which shortsighted clown decided to do it on a Derby weekend?”
“How can you possibly justify engineering works on the Metrolink this weekend when it’s the Derby and tens of thousands need ti move around Manchester? Appalling mismanagement,” another Twitter user questioned TfGM.
You can find more information on travelling to the Manchester Derby this weekend via the TfGM website here.
Strangeways declared ‘threat to national security’ following drone deliveries of drugs, weapons and more
Danny Jones
A recent trend at HMP Manchester has been declared a “threat to national security” after it was learned that drones have been regularly delivering drugs, weapons and more into the facility formerly known as Strangewaysalong with other UK prisons.
It’s said there were roughly 220 drone sightings over the past year or so – more than any other prison in the country – and issues around contraband, violence, hygiene and more have been on the increase ever since. HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire was found to be similarly neglected.
A rife drug and rat problem was found following a surprise autumn inspection between September and October; it is now evident that the chronic issues have been exacerbated by a major security breach as His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, says police have “ceded airspace” over facilities.
The most recent report on conditions at HMP Manchester and Long Lartin was published on Tuesday, 14 January and, in short, it insists that huge investment is needed in order to curb the crisis.
Credit: HM Inspectorate of Prisons
Drones, corruption and a lack of investment have seen Strangeways maintain its reputation
A top-line assessment of Strangeways found that many of the sticking points came down not only to the advent of drones delivering items such as phones, drugs, weapons and other “large payloads” weighing up to as much as 7kg, but merely “poor physical security” and concerns regarding corruption.
Most notably, high-risk prisoners who Taylor described as “extremely dangerous” have been burning holes in cell windows in order to pick up drone deliveries. The ease with which these exchanges are able to take place comes down to what he simply calls “slow action”.
There has been a damning failure to spot, repair and/or replace these panels, as well as the torn netting over exercise yards, meaning that drone operators have an easier task when dropping their packages into the 158-year-old penitentiary.
According to the report, “a staggering 39% of prisoners had tested positive in mandatory drug tests at Manchester” (50% at Long Lartin) and a simple survey found that drugs and alcohol were “easy” to acquire inside Strangeways.
In addition to the rodent infestation, general hygiene looks to have plummeted to new lows in recent times too, with “widespread dirt, damp and litter” as well as vandalism in several areas. Inmates have also been tearing up mattresses to insulate windows from the cold.
Numbers relating to assault, self-harm, suicide and more have also risen since the last major inspection in 2021. By all accounts, it remains one of Britain’s most dangerous prisons for a whole host of reasons.
There has also been a significant drop-off when it comes to socialisation and rehabilitation efforts, as the work day, learning and general activities look to have dwindled too.
Taylor signed off by writing: “The safety of staff, prisoners and ultimately that of the public, is seriously compromised by the failure to tackle what has become a threat to national security.
“The prison service, the police and other security services must urgently confront organised gang activity and reduce the supply of drugs and other illicit items which so clearly undermine every aspect of prison life.” To put it simply, he says the situation is “highly alarming.”
It may not make for pleasant reading, but if you want a clearer picture of the current conditions inside Strangeways prison or to learn more about the growing advent of smuggling drones, you can read the extensive 67-page report in full HERE.
Broken cell windowDamage and dirtThe state of a kitchenette (Credit: HMIP)
Featured Images — Robert Wade (via Flickr)/HMIP (HM Inspectorate of Prisons)
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Murder investigation launched after man in his 50s found dead in Little Hulton
Emily Sergeant
A murder investigation has been launched after the body of a man in his 50s was found in Little Hulton this past weekend.
Shortly before 7:30am on Sunday 12 January, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) was called to an address on Hope Hey Lane, in the Little Hulton area of Salford, following reports of concern for the welfare of a man.
Once emergency services arrived on the scene, the body of a man in his 50s was sadly found dead.
According to GMP, following a post mortem taking place, officers believe the man’s injuries are “consistent with an assault”, and because of this, detectives have subsequently launched a murder investigation.
#ARREST | A murder investigation has been launched after a man was found deceased in Little Hulton yesterday.
A woman in her 40s has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
There will be an increase in police around the area while we investigate.
With the investigation ongoing, a woman in her 40s has already been arrested on suspicion of murder, and she remains in police custody for questioning.
Addressing the incident and speaking on the murder investigation as it progresses, Detective Chief Inspector Neil Higginson, from GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “Sadly, following the discovery of a body at a property in Little Hulton, we have now launched a murder investigation, and we have a team of detectives working around the clock to understand the circumstances.
“We do not believe there to be a threat to the wider public, but you will likely see an increased presence of police in your area whilst we conduct further enquiries.
Hope Hey Lane in Little Hulton, where the incident happened / Credit: Google Maps
“If you have any information which may assist our investigation, or any dashcam, CCTV, or doorbell footage from the area in the lats 24 hours, then please get in touch with us. No matter how small the information may seem, it could be crucial to our investigation.”
Can you help? Any information can be shared by calling police on 101 quoting log 650 of 12/01/25, or using the LiveChat function online at www.gmp.police.uk.
Emily Sergeant -
4th March 2022 
