Manchester has launched a bid to become the European Capital of Cycling for 2024, and we’d be the first city to hold the title.
On the week that the nationally-renowned cycling tournament, the Tour of Britain, begins and makes its way through the region, Manchester City Council has announced that it has has formally submitted a bid on behalf of the city of Manchester to become the official ACES European Capital of Cycling for 2024.
The bid comes as the city gears up to welcome a delegation from ACES Europe this month, who will meet with city partners and set out ambitions to become “a great cycling city”.
According to the Council, Manchester’s bid for the 2024 title is the “culmination of years of work”, which has seen “a hugely ambitious expansion of cycling” – both in Manchester as well as the entire Greater Manchester region.
Councillors believe it could also spark an “even greater transport revolution” that could get “many more Mancunians into the saddle” in the future.
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Today, Manchester welcomes the delegates from @AcesEurope, who will decide the winning bid to become European Capital of Cycling 2024.
“By building on this accolade, we want Manchester to be in a position where we are in an even better position to bid for future funding, and to continue to grow Manchester as an international city of cycling,” Manchester City Council said as it launched the bid.
Even without the news of this bid, September is already being considered an “incredibly exciting” month for Manchester’s cycling community.
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On top of all the action in the Tour of Britain, the National Cycling Centre is also set to reopen to the public this month following a two-year renovation project – with the Council saying this long-awaited return will ensure that “the heart and home of British Cycling can continue its incredible work for the decades to come”.
Council leader Bev Craig has called the bid a “watershed moment” for the city.
Manchester has launched a bid to become Europe’s first-ever Capital of Cycling / Credit: TfGM
Earlier this year, the Council made what it called a “significant statement” on how important cycling would be in the future of Manchester, and revealed that by the end of 2028, it hopes cycling as a mode of transport in the city centre would be doubled so that it’s essentially the “default choice for making short journeys”.
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Ultimately, the Council wants to promote cycling so that it go towards the target of becoming a zero-carbon city by 2038.
“We’re incredibly proud to have been in a position to make this bid,” Cllr Bev Craig admints.
“Cycling is at the heart of our transport strategy for the next five years, and with the impetus this accolade would bring, I am confident we will be able to truly make Manchester a great cycling city.
“We are determined, alongside our valued partners in the city, to capitalise on what becoming the Capital of Cycling would mean and to ensure that we can create a lasting legacy.”
Featured Image – TfGM
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Details released of Andy Burnham’s meetings with Manchester City owners while Mayor
Emily Sergeant
Details of Andy Burnham’s meetings with Manchester City owners during his tenure as Mayor of Greater Manchester have been released.
In case you need bringing up to speed on the situation a little first, Manchester City was found guilty back in September all of its charges related to the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period, and on top of that, was also found guilty of the majority of charges in relation to its failure to co-operate with the League’s investigation.
According to the Premier League, the independent Commission found that Manchester City had arranged so-called ‘sham’ commercial deals with a number of its sponsors.
These were part of a disguised funding scheme – with those sponsors only required to pay a portion of the relevant sponsorship fees.
The remainder was then funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG), which owned the club.
The Commission also concluded, as quoted by the Premier League, that the club had ‘made concerted efforts to stop and frustrate the Premier League investigation’.
Within the past week or so, it has since come to light that now-Prime Minister Andy Burnham had dealings with Manchester City during his tenure as Greater Manchester Mayor, and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has now issued a public statement, giving details on the matter and what these ‘dealings’ entailed.
A spokesperson for GMCA confirmed that Burnham had a ‘formal meeting’ with Man City Chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, back in October 2021.
The statement reads in full: “In October 2021, Andy Burnham, in his role as Mayor of Greater Manchester, had a formal meeting with Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the UK Government’s Global Investment Summit arranged by the Department for International Trade.
“In his capacity as Mayor, he was a guest of Manchester City FC at home matches on a small number of occasions, including attending Vincent Kompany’s testimonial match in September 2019, where he met the Chairman informally in the stands. These have been declared in the usual way.
“Also during his time as Mayor, representatives of Greater Manchester sporting clubs would routinely join business delegations as part of Mayoral international visits.
“This included representatives from Manchester United travelling to Austin and Dublin, Lancashire Cricket Club joining a delegation to India, and Manchester City FC staff supporting visits to China and Japan.”
Featured Image – Lauren Hurley / Number 10 Downing Street (Press Image via Flickr)
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Multiple arrests made for ‘tragedy chanting’ and police officer assault as Man City defeated Liverpool
Emily Sergeant
Multiple people were arrested over the weekend as Manchester City defeated Liverpool in a Premier League clash.
Merseyside Police have confirmed that a total of 10 people were arrested during the policing operation at Liverpool’s home ground of Anfield as they hosted Manchester City on Sunday 11 October.
One man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police constable, five were on suspicion of tragedy chanting, one on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly, two for affray, and one on suspicion of throwing items onto the pitch.
Police are now appealing to the public, and are particularly looking to speak to witnesses of the assault of the officer.
At around 6:35pm, as fans left the stadium, a police officer sustained a ‘serious facial injury’ during the arrest of a man on Anfield Road, and was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment but is now recovering at home.
Investigating officers are now conducting enquiries, speaking to witnesses, and analysing CCTV and camera phone footage.
Chief Inspector Leanne Hobin said it’s ‘extremely disappointing’ that an officer has sustained a serious injury while carrying out their duty.
“I hope the arrests send a clear message and act as a deterrent to others,” Chief Inspector Hobin continued. “Anyone who engages in this abhorrent behaviour risks ending up in custody and getting a criminal record.
“Despite the actions of a few, the overwhelming majority of the 60,000 fans in attendance behaved well and I want to thank them for their co-operation.”
Manchester City ended up defeated Liverpool 3-0 during the Premier League clash at Anfield.
Emily Sergeant -
4th September 2023 
