News

Manchester City has launched ‘unprecedented’ legal action against the Premier League

The Times claims the outcome could "dramatically alter the landscape of the professional game".

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 5th June 2024

Manchester City has launched what is being described as ‘unprecedented’ legal action against the Premier League over its financial rules.

Merely weeks after becoming the first club in English football history to win the league title four seasons in a row, and ahead of its own 115-charge hearing – which first came to light in February 2023, with City found to have broken Financial Fair Play rules around 100 times over a nine-year period, starting in 2009 and going on until 2018 – The Times exclusively revealed yesterday (4 June) that Manchester City are now taking legal action against the Premier League.

The Manchester club is attempting to end the Premier League’s Associated Party Transaction (ATP) rules, according to The Times and several other major news outlets following.

The rules in question are regarding the football organisation’s commercial and sponsorship deals with companies that are owned or associated with the same club’s owners – known as ‘Associated Parties’.

As things stand, according to Sky News and BBC News, the ATP rules dictate that the Premier League’s board is required to review each club’s transaction with the intent of assessing whether it believes they represent a ‘fair’ market value, and with an overall aim of helping to build “fairness” across the league as a whole.

According to the Premier League, the ATP rules work to end a “reliance on enhanced commercial revenues linked to the club’s ownership”.

Despite neither Manchester City or the Premier League responding to requests for comment on the widespread reports and hearing, The Times says it has seen a 165-page legal document in which City claim they are victims of “discrimination”, and that the amended rules were approved by its rivals to “stifle” the club’s success on the pitch.

Manchester City has launched ‘unprecedented’ legal action against the Premier League / Credit: Man City (via Facebook)

The Sky Blues – which are famously owned by City Football Group Ltd, of which the majority owner is the Abu Dhabi United Group, following the takeover in 2008 – have reportedly called the voting system “a tyranny of the majority”.

The legal dispute between City and the Premier League will be settled during a two-week arbitration hearing beginning on Monday 10 June, according to The Times.

The Times’ reporter, Matt Lawton – who wrote the exclusive article – says he believes City’s legal action has “sparked a civil war” among other football clubs.

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The publication also claims the outcome of the hearing could “dramatically alter the landscape of the professional game”.

Featured Image – Lexy Ilsley (via Manchester City)

News

New free app launches to help people find the best nature spots in and around Manchester

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A new free app has launched to help people find, discover, and visit nature on their doorstep.

Wildling is aiming to be a simple one-step solution to the growing mental health crisis and the urgent need to care for the natural world.

By helping people visit nature more easily, and giving them tools to truly connect with it at this same time, Wildling is well on its way to supporting personal wellbeing and the joy of easily discovering nature across the UK, all while nurturing a sense of care and action for the planet.

Supported by partners including the RSPB, Marine Conservation Society ,and Forestry England, and backed by advisors and environmentalists like Ben Goldsmith, Eden Project founder Tim Smit, and Dragon’s Den’s Deborah Meaden, the new app brings the UK’s wild spaces and hidden green spots together in one place.

People on mobile phones
A new free app has launched to help people find the best nature spots in Manchester / Credit: Kitera Dent | Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)

Featuring more than 1,500 locations across the country, from coastlines and woodlands, to nature reserves, the app also includes a wide range of tips to help you make your time in nature easier, more enjoyable, and more meaningful.

The app has been created with the input of research carried out by the University of Derby, based on responses from more than 68,000 adults across England over two years.

The study found that people who spend time in nature every day report up to 22% greater life satisfaction, 17% higher happiness, and an average uplift of around 19% in overall wellbeing, compared to those who rarely go out.

Regular time in nature was also found to have a ‘striking’ effect on pro-environmental behaviour too, according to the survey.

Wildling was created by impact entrepreneur Ant Rawlins who wanted to make accessing nature ‘easier’ for everyone.

“We wanted to give people the tools to engage with nature by making it genuinely easy to visit, by showing them nearby nature places and giving them everything they need to make it happen,” says Ant Rawlins commented.

Wildling connects Mancs to the outside world and all it has to offer / Credit: Sol Stock (Supplied)

Ant said the study shows that spending more time in nature just a nice idea, it makes you happier, increases your satisfaction with life, lifts your overall wellbeing, and encourages you to look after the world around you.

“That’s exactly why Wildling was created,” he concluded.

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The Wildling app is available now to download for free through the App Store and Google Play, and you can find out more here.

Featured Image – Shironosov (Supplied)

News

Chester Zoo’s viral new snow leopard cub ventures outside for the first time

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Chester Zoo’s adorable baby snow leopard who went viral last week could very well be about to go viral again.

That’s because new footage of it venturing outside for the first time have been released.

After arriving to first-time parents Nubra and Yashin, who are both three-years-old, last month (10 June 2025), keepers at Chester Zoo said mum and cub had mostly spent their time quietly tucked away in a cosy den, away from the eyes of the onlooking public – but now, it’s time for the little one to see what the outside world is all about.

Now, at seven-weeks old, the cub has gained in strength and confidence, and experts expected that it could venture outside at ‘any moment’.

Zookeepers are still yet to confirm the sex of the cub, and will be able to do soon once it has undergone its first health check-up with the vets.

We can also expect to hear one the little one’s name is very soon too.

If you’re unfamiliar with snow leopards, they are classed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and it’s believed there are as few as 4,000 now remaining in the wild.

Nicknamed the ‘ghosts of the mountains’, these elusive – but adorable – big cats are found in the rugged, remote regions of Central Asia and the Himalayas – but sadly, despite being known for living in desolate, harsh environments, they continue to face threats from habitat loss, climate change, poaching, and retaliatory killings by farmers.

Chester Zoo’s viral new snow leopard cub ventures outside for the first time / Credit: Chester Zoo

The cub’s birth follows the opening of Chester Zoo’s Himalayan habitat in May 2024, which is a vast, rocky environment that authentically recreates the mountainous terrain of Central Asia.

“This is the first snow leopard cub to be born at Chester Zoo,” commented Dave Hall, who is the Team Manager of carnivores at Chester Zoo, last week when the adorable hidden den cam footage was first released to the public.

“It’s a truly historic moment and a real cause for celebration – not just for our teams here, but also for the future of this magnificent species globally.”

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Although it’s still early days, carnivore experts at the zoo say Nubra is showing ‘excellent maternal instincts’ by nursing her new arrival every few hours and always keeping close by.

Featured Image – Chester Zoo

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