Manchester United and Liverpool fans have been praised for putting rivalries aside and coming together to pay an emotional tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo’s son.
The two North West clubs with a historic and bitter rivalry faced each other in a Premier League clash at Liverpool’s home ground Anfield yesterday evening, but it was confirmed earlier in the day that Manchester United’s star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, would not be a part of the match following the tragic death of his newborn son.
The Portuguese striker and his long-term girlfriend Georgina Rodríguez announced back in October 2021 that they were expecting a second set of twins, but issued a joint statement on social media on Monday evening to reveal with the “deepest sadness” that their newborn baby boy had passed away.
The couple confirmed the birth of their baby girl, and said the arrival of their daughter gave them “the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness”.
They said it was “the greatest pain any parents could feel”.
Following the announcement of the tragic news, a message posted by a Liverpool fan group began circulating online suggesting that supporters attending the match at Anfield were planning a tribute during the game on the seventh minute, as a reference to the shirt number Cristiano has notably worn throughout his career.
Ahead of the match, both teams observed a moment of silence and wore black arm bands in tribute to the heartbreaking loss.
Once the match had kicked-off, and shortly after Liverpool had gone 1-0 up thanks to a strike by Luis Díaz, the whole stadium erupted in applause, with fans of both teams clapping and showing support in what has been described as a “moving” moment.
7-minutes in, Liverpool and Man United fans show their support for Cristiano Ronaldo and his family. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/5TCxj5oxKO
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 19, 2022
A moving tribute to @Cristiano and his loved ones with seven minutes played at Anfield. #MUFC | #LIVMUN
Liverpool fans not only joined Manchester United fans in the minute’s applause, but some were also heard chanting a rendition of their adopted anthem, You’ll Never Walk Alone, and have since been praised for putting the decades-long rivalry aside to show their support.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was also seen applauding.
After the match, Klopp called the tribute his “moment of the game”, and commended his club’s fans for the touch of “pure class”.
“So many things are much more important in life than football, and obviously we really feel for Cristiano and his family, so that was a great moment of the game,” Klopp said in his press conference.
Since announcing the passing of their newborn son, the footballing world has flooded Cristiano and Georgina with messages of support, with a number of famous names, fans, teammates, and current and former clubs the Portuguese striker has played for during his career, coming forward to share the love.
The couple’s statement announcing the heartbreaking news read in full: “It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that our baby boy has passed away.
“It is the greatest pain that any parents can feel and only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness. We would like to thank the doctors and nurses for all their expert care and support.
“We are all devastated at this loss and we kindly ask for privacy at this very difficult time.
“Our baby boy, you are our angel. We will always love you.”
Council publishes list of central Manchester roads set to be resurfaced this summer
Emily Sergeant
A list of roads in Manchester that are set to be resurfaced before the summer is out has been published.
Manchester City Council recently asked residents in the region what their priorities were for their community and what issues they wanted to see tackled – and for many, the answer was the quality of the road surfaces.
Since then, the Council says it has been ‘engaged’ in a long-running programme of improvement works throughout the borough.
Now, with just over a month of the summer season left, it has been confirmed that some vital resurfacing works are due to start over the coming weeks in north and central Manchester, bringing a range of improvements to key district roads along with it.
First up, from Saturday 9 August, Hollinwood Avenue is to be resurfaced.
The Council has published a list of Manchester roads that are set to be resurfaced this summer / Credit: MJ Richardson (via Geograph)
Anticipated to take six weeks to complete, this work will be carried out during weekend closures from 8am-5pm, with the road remaining open during the working week.
The closure area will be between Greengates Roundabout and the Oldham boundary at Owler Lane, and a signed diversion route will be in place while work is carried out, and access for residents will be maintained at all times.
Then, starting from Saturday 16 August, resurfacing works will begin on Moss Lane East, between Alexandra Road and Princess Road.
Work will take place between 7am and 5pm on weekdays, and 8am and 5pm on weekends, and during the works, the road will be completely closed – with a signed diversion route in place and access for residents maintained.
As always, disruption is expected and the public is encouraged to plan ahead / Credit: Mylo Kaye (via Unsplash)
These works are expected to take six weeks to complete, and as with all resurfacing projects, residents should expect some disruption and may need to plan ahead.
The Council is aiming to keep disruption to the public at a minimum, where possible.
“We know how important it is to our residents that key roads are well maintained, which is why were glad to be able to deliver this latest round of improvement works,” commented Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment, and Transport at Manchester City Council.
“I’d like to thank people ahead of time for their patience during the course of these works and would advise them to check when closures will be in place and where the diversions are.”
You can find more information on the resurfacing works on the Council website here.
Manchester Storm ban supporter and condemn discriminatory behaviour after online comments
Danny Jones
Ice hockey side Manchester Storm have come out to vocally condemn any and all forms of discrimination following recent concerns raised online and, more importantly, putting words into action after issuing a stadium ban to a match-going fan.
Writing a lengthy, passionate and defiant post on Wednesday, 6 August, Manchester Storm informed supporters that they had been made aware of multiple “derogatory and discriminatory comments” earlier this week.
The remarks in question were made across various social media platforms, as well as fan forums over the past few days, but thankfully were quickly identified and removed by admins.
Nevertheless, Storm recognised the importance of cracking down on this kind of behaviour as swiftly and firmly as possible, penning this pitch-perfect reply in terms of tone and practical action.
The official statement reads: “These comments are deeply concerning and go against everything our club stands for. Let us be absolutely clear: racism, homophobia, and any form of discriminatory or hateful behaviour will not be tolerated – online or at the [Planet Ice] Arena.
“We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive club that welcomes players, staff, and fans from all backgrounds. Anyone found engaging in racist, homophobic, or otherwise abusive behaviour will be banned and will not be permitted entry to The [Storm] Shelter.”
Storm also went on to detail that the individual in question regarding multiple related incidents has not only been issued with a ban, but that their season ticket has been revoked and will be denied all entry to their home ground in Altrincham.
They also assured that the matter has been reported to Greater Manchester Police, adding that the club “will continue to cooperate fully with their investigations” and”will not hesitate to pursue further legal action where necessary.
Proud to see such quick and decisive action from the local sporting organisation, which should help serve as a real deterrent for similar potential trouble in the future.
The response from the right-minded fans in the comments was great to see as well.
Regardless of the offensive remarks made on the forum, most Manchester Storm supporters welcome the statement fan ban. (Credit: IG)
One user on X wrote: “The storm is for everyone; we don’t need these people anywhere near the Storm Shelter. Thank you for acting so quickly.” Another on Instagram added, “Absolutely, hockey is for everyone, correct and firm stance/action. Well done, from a Belfast Giants fan.”
The club signed off by saying: “Manchester Storm remains committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all. Hate has no place in hockey – or anywhere else.
“We thank our community for standing with us in upholding these values.
Emily Sergeant -
20th April 2022 
