Manchester City has issued an apology statement after the Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen was assaulted at the Etihad Stadium.
The incident occurred yesterday afternoon shortly after Manchester City made the impressive comeback on the final day of the season from being 2-0 down, to scoring three goals in the second half, and clinching the coveted title of 2021-22 Premier League champions.
Once the final whistle had been blown, excited fans then began to flood the pitch to celebrate the victory.
Video captured by television cameras and by members of public present at the stadium shows Robin Olsen being touched or slapped on the back of the head by one fan and pushed by another, before a third man apparently hits him in the face – although it is said to be unclear whether it was intentional.
Shortly after the incident occurred and the club was made aware of the situation, Manchester City issued a statement “sincerely apologising” to Olsen on its website, which reads in full: “Manchester City would like to sincerely apologise to Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen, who was assaulted after the final whistle at today’s match when fans entered the pitch.
“The Club has launched an immediate investigation and once identified, the individual responsible will be issued with an indefinite stadium ban.”
The FA has also issued a statement following the incident, and said it will also be investigating, adding that it was “very concerned about the rise in anti-social behaviour from fans as we reach the end of the season”.
The statement continued: “Clubs play a vital role in addressing this issue and they need to prevent pitch invasions from occurring, as well as taking their own action against those that break the rules and the law [and] the FA will be seeking to do all that it can to work with clubs as well as addressing the issues from a disciplinary perspective.”
Sky Sports pundits and former Manchester United players, Gary Neville and Roy Keane, called the perpetrators “idiots” and “scumbags”.
In the latest update on the continuing situation, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has this morning confirmed via a statement that “enquiries are ongoing” following the report assault of the opposition team’s player.
“Officers working in partnership with both football clubs,” the police force said.
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GMP did however confirm in its statement this morning two other football fans have been charged following Manchester City’s Premier League game with Aston Villa at Etihad Stadium yesterday.
Phillip Maxwell, of Anzio Row in Knowsley, has been charged with throwing a missile (pyrotechnic) onto the pitch and will appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court on 23 May 2022, while Paul Colbridge, of Whitegate Drive, Salford, has been charged with going onto the pitch, and will appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court on 7 June 2022.
Both have been bailed ahead of the court appearances.
Middleton to receive a cinema and Metrolink as part of regeneration plans
Thomas Melia
Greater Manchester town Middleton is about to undergo a huge facelift thanks to a new regeneration project, including a new cinema and Metrolink tram station.
Middleton is one of many bustling communities that make up the borough of Rochdale, and with these new plans, the town might receive a fair few new visitors who want to know what it’s all about.
The Greater Manchester town is undergoing a huge transformation with regeneration plans confirming that Middleton will receive a brand new cinema complex along with an extended Metrolink line as part of the Bee Network expansion covering this area.
This is all thanks to Middleton teaming up with the Mayor to launch the Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), which pushes forward regeneration plans for the town and future ideas.
Middleton Shopping Centre right in the heart of the town centre.Middleton Town Centre bustling as the markets take place.Credit: Steven Haslington (via Geograph)/@Rept0n1x (via Flickr)
The MDC considers lots of aspects of the town and even aims to create new homes and improve surrounding public spaces.
Middleton regeneration plans have been floated previously, but complications arose due to a lack of land and available funding, which ultimately brought these foundations to a halt.
Now it seems the green light has been lifted and Middleton is about to get a whole new facelift, which will not only improve the town economically but aesthetically too, along with the wider Rochdale region.
For many Middletonians, the idea of a cinema may have felt like a distant memory, with their last big screen location shutting down just over a decade ago.
This all-new high street regeneration will not only bring an array of shopping favourites back to the town centre but also the long-awaited return of a local cinema. Most importantly, the plans also include a slate of new housing, with an estimated 300 apartments set to be created in one building alone.
Early CGIs of the proposed Middleton regeneration plans.Grade II-listed Warwick Mill looks set to be turned into flats.Credit: Publicity Picture (supplied)
This all falls in line with the ‘Atom Valley scheme‘, which has been commissioned in order to generate over 20,000 job opportunities for people in Bury, Oldham and Rochdale.
The scheme also mentions how it aims to bring a combined economic boost of around £1 billion to these previously mentioned areas.
Rochdale Borough Council leader, Neil Emmott, said: “The development of 1.2 million square metres of employment space around the junction 19 area will help to generate 20,000 high-quality jobs and bring a £1 billion economic boost.”
Featured Image — Publicity Pictures (supplied via Rochdale Borough Council)
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Scouting For Girls announce stacked UK tour with Manchester date
Thomas Melia
British boyband Scouting For Girls are heading out on an extensive UK tour with dates up and down the country, including right here in Manchester.
If the first thing that pops into your mind when you read this headline is “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know how we’ll make it through this”, then you’re on the right side of history.
Nearly 20 years since their single ‘She’s So Lovely’ reached catastrophic heights and had everyone putting on their best Roy Stride accent, Scouting For Girls are heading back on the road.
This UK tour announcement comes two years after their last project, The Place We Used To Meet, reached our ears and was coined by the band as “Our best work since our debut”.
It’s been 18 years since this Brit trio captivated our hearts with their eponymous debut album, which sold over one million copies and went number one on the UK official charts for two weeks.
Whether you know them for ‘Heartbeat’ or ‘Elvis Ain’t Dead’, it’s clear to say this band had their fair share of smash hit singles throughout the noughties.
This tour, however, celebrates the sophomore follow-up: Everybody Wants To Be On TV, which went on to continue their legacy and secure them their only number one, ‘This Ain’t A Love Song’, back in 2010.
Now, the boys are treating UK fans to an array of live performances, and if you can’t make one date, fear not because there are 20 different locations for you to choose from.
The group will also be playing the likes of Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and a whole host of other Northern cities, so you have plenty of chances to catch them.
If you can’t wait all the way until March 2026 for your next Scouting For Girls fix, lead singer Stride has his own cameo account where you can get the star to read out a message or even sing you a song: “‘Michaela Strachan’ in full, please?…”
Scouting For Girls are coming to O2 Apollo in Manchester on 21 March 2026, with tickets going on sale next Friday, 2 May at 10am HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
23rd May 2022 
