Anyone over the age of 18 will be able to walk into the Rates Hall in the Town Hall Extension next week and get a COVID-19 jab, Manchester City Council has confirmed.
The Grade II listed venue near St Peter’s Square is being turned into a vaccination hub from Monday 9 August – allowing people to pop in to get a jab with no booking required.
The central location has been chosen to make it easy for people to visit and get vaccinated when they’re out and about in town, as well as offering a nearby vaccination site for returning students living in the Oxford Road Corridor.
The pop-up will be running for an initial two-week period offering both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines – with the site potentially being extended into September.
A total of four vaccination pods will be set up inside the hall and staff on site will be on hand to answer any questions.
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You’ll be able to walk into the Rates Hall in Manchester and get a jab without booking from Monday 9 August / Image: Wikimedia Commons
Councillor Joanna Midgley, Executive Member for Health and Care for Manchester City Council said: “Throughout the rollout of the vaccine choosing the right location has been key. Making sure the vaccine is accessible to every resident is crucial as we work to ensure as many people as possible are protected from COVID-19.
“Over the past month we have been working hard to reach our younger residents, many of which live in the city centre or in neighbouring areas. By setting up a vaccination site in literally the heart of the city, with close links to public transport and in one of the city’s most well-known landmarks we are giving people the easiest possible opportunity to get jabbed.”
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David Regan, Director of Public Health for Manchester added: “We know that by getting the jab a person is significantly cutting their risk of becoming seriously ill due to COVID-19. Getting the second jab reduces that risk even further which is why it is so important that people do the right thing and come forward.
“As large parts of society have now opened up again we want residents, especially our younger ones, to be able to enjoy life to its fullest especially given the sacrifices made through 2020.
“This is why I’d urge anyone yet to get their first or second vaccine to take up this opportunity to grab a jab, protect themselves, and get their lives back to normal.”
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The vaccination hub operational times are as follows:
Monday: 15:00 – 19:00
Tuesday: 11.00 – 19.00
Wednesday: 15.00 – 19.00
Thursday: 11.00 – 19.00
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Friday: 15.00 – 19.00
For more information, visit the Manchester City Council website.
News
Premier League Darts is returning to Manchester’s AO Arena in 2027
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Premier League Darts is confirmed to be returning to Manchester next year.
Now’s your chance to see the youngest world champion in darts history, AKA Warrington’s very-own Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, show us how it’s done, as next year’s BetMGM Premier League Darts lineup has just been announced this week – with various dates confirmed across 17 different cities in the UK and Europe.
And Manchester is one of those cities, as the AO Arena has shared that they are set to host an evening next April, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.
This means that we will be lucky enough to witness the biggest names in world darts all under one roof, including headliners Gian van Veen and Luke Humphries, as well as Littler.
Manchester is the only northern city to get the pleasure of hosting the event next year, as Liverpool is also on the lineup, as is Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle, while elsewhere in the UK, the stars will travel to Glasgow, Birmingham, London, and several other major locations.
BetMGM Premier League Darts is to be held on Thursday 8 April at the AO Arena in Manchester, and to avoid being disappointed, fans are advised to register for presale ticket access.
Following a successful season of events in 2026, tickets are expected to be like gold-dust, so don’t say you haven’t been warned.
To access the first wave of tickets, fans must become an active PDCTV Annual Member before 23:59pm on Friday 9 October. Alternatively, general sale is on Thursday 22 October 2026, but make sure not to hang about.
Featured Image – Sandro Halank (via Wikimedia Commons)
News
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands
Emily Sergeant
Andy Burnham has claimed he wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on fans getting to drink alcohol in football stands.
It’s a ban that’s been in place in the top five tiers of men’s football since 1985, when fears over violence and hooliganism were at their height, but now the Prime Minister has raised the question of whether drinking in football stands – or ‘drinking in sight / view of the pitch’, as it’s known formally – is actually unjust, due to the fact that same rules don’t apply to fans of other sports.
“I don’t think it’s fair for football fans to be singled out in that way,” Andy Burnham has declared this week, grabbing headlines in the process.
He continued: “I think that legislation dates to an era where football was very different, and I do believe there is a case to remove that discrimination.
“I’m not going to back away from what’s been a long-held view of mine. I don’t see how it can be fair that some supporters of one sport can be treated differently.”
The Prime Minister’s comments have been met with mixed response.
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands / Credit: James Kirkup | Julia Nastogadka (via Unsplash)
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), for example, has very much welcomed the idea, saying that it ‘totally agrees’ the legislation is ‘outdated’ and ‘deserves to be reviewed’.
Tom Greatrex, chair of the FSA, said in a statement: “The FSA has always argued that it’s unfair to criminalise football fans for having a pint while watching the match – especially since you can sit in the same seat drinking alcohol whilst watching an Oasis gig or rugby league.”
However, on the flip side, the UK Football Policing Unit said it would be ‘incredibly rash’ to change the rules without proper consultation.
“Other sports simply don’t see the violence and criminal behaviour from their supporters that football does, albeit a minority, with alcohol often playing a significant part in violent and disorderly behaviour,” it said in a statement on the matter.
The Prime Minister did state in his initial proposition though that ‘there are different ways it could be done’, hinting that it could be done ‘on a trial basis’ perhaps.
The English Football League (EFL) added that it would be ‘receptive to discussions around reviewing current legislation and permitting alcoholic drinks within view of the pitch’.
No formal details on a review have been confirmed as of yet, so fans are encouraged to stay tuned for updates in due course.
The Manc -
6th August 2021 
