ADVERTISEMENT

News

Manchester United set to make up to 250 staff redundant in cost-cutting move

It's all change for the Reds.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 4th July 2024
ADVERTISEMENT

Manchester United is set to make up to 250 staff redundant in a bid to cut costs, it is being reported.

Following on from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his company INEOS’s completed purchase of a 27.7% stake in the Premier League club for a whopping £1.25 billion back in February, and his taking charge of football operations alongside it as part of the agreement, the Manchester-born billionaire has been reviewing the current running of the club ever since.

Most notably, Ratcliffe commissioned a cost review ahead of the 2024/25 football season, as his team not only moved to shake things up on the pitch, but also behind the scenes at Manchester United as a whole.

And now, it’s being widely reported by reputable sources such as Sky Sports News, BBC Sport, The Athletic, and more, that interim Chief Executive, Jean-Claude Blanc, informed staff yesterday lunchtime (3 July) that the club intends to make a wave of redundancies.

Manchester United is set to make up to 250 staff redundant / Credit: Javid Naderi | Mags (via Unsplash)

Sources at Old Trafford have indicated that the club will now follow a formal process to propose such redundancies.

ADVERTISEMENT

Believed to be a decision that has not been taken lightly, the club will begin to consult with staff across all departments and levels – with the exception of the Manchester United Foundation, according to Sky News.

According to sources, the decision to propose redundancies was finally reached upon following several other alternatives being considered beforehand, but these would apparently have only had a short-term impact, and were therefore deemed unsuitable, given that the long-term goal is to return United back to success in the future.

ADVERTISEMENT
It’s part of new co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s, wider cost-cutting mission at the club / Credit: INEOS

The proposed redundancies also align with the Premier League’s new financial regulations.

And, as United’s costs have risen year-on-year, it’s now also understood that the size and shape of the club “structurally” does not reflect the its current performance.

Read more:

Because of this, club sources believe United now has more people than needed, and so, a reduction in employee headcount and costs is required.

Featured Image – Manchester United (via X | Michael Regan / Getty)

News

Jude Bellingham given suspended one-match ban and fine for ‘inappropriate’ gesture

Danny Jones Danny Jones Jude Bellingham given one match ban for inappropriate gesture during Slovakia celebration
ADVERTISEMENT

England and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham has been handed a suspended one-match ban after making a gesture towards the Slovakia fans following the Three Lions’ last-gasp win in the round of 16 of Euro 2024.

Bellingham scored what has already gone down as one of the greatest England goals of all time to equalise against their first knockout opponents of the tournament to put them through to the quarter-final stage.

However, it was his celebrations in the immediate aftermath following the goal that got him into a little bit of trouble, as a small gesture towards his genitals has seen the Madrid midfielder pick up a fine and a one-match ban that he will thankfully he doesn’t have to serve any suspension immediately.

ln case you missed it, this is the moment in question, as reshared by the player himself:

As you can see, Bellingham shrugged off the gesture as nothing more than an “inside joke towards some friends” who were in attendance inside Gelsenkirchen’s Veltins-Arena and clearly wasn’t willing to indulge any suggestion that he meant any offence despite the crude gesture.

Regardless, UEFA’s ethics and disciplinary body, unfortunately, hasn’t seen it that way; they stated that he violated “the basic rules of decent conduct” with the celebration, being slapped with a €30,000 fine (approximately £25k) and the match ban.

They did go on to explain that the ban is “subject to a probationary period of one year, starting from the date of the present decision”, meaning that it will only have to be served if the 21-year-old re-offends in the next 12 months.

A big relief for England supporters after he helped keep them in the game with his second goal in a competition where Gareth Southgate‘s side has still struggled to really get going.

Read more:

While Bellingham will be available for Saturday’s match against Switzerland, another player received a harsher punishment for his reaction following a goal at this year’s Euros.

Turkey defender Merih Demiral has been handed a straight two-match ban for a politically associated gesture he made during his side’s previous win, doing the wolf salute celebration after the second goal of his brace against Austria.

The gesture is linked to the far-right Grey Wolves extremist group, who are also closely linked with Turkey’s ruling coalition National Movement Party. Bellingham’s behaviour pales in comparison when sized up against potentially inflammatory instances like this.

Meanwhile, back in the England camp, there is another member of the squad who Three Lions fans will be hoping can make an impact in upcoming games – we can only hope.

England fans are calling for Southgate to finally start Luke Shaw following Trippier’s injury doubts

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — @343_digital (via X)/England (via Instagram)

News

Watch the moment Mayor Andy Burnham learns of Labour landslide as Tories lose all Greater Manchester seats

Danny Jones Danny Jones Andy Burnham reacting to Labour landslide
ADVERTISEMENT

It’s official: the Labour Party have won the 2024 UK General Election as the Conservative reign is brought to an end after 14 years and the Mayor for Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, learning of the landslide has become somewhat of a viral moment.

Not only were the Tories displaced from Parliament following the result but the Labour majority was massive, winning a total of 412 seats compared to just 120 for the incumbents but most notably in local terms, not a single blue seat was left intact.

With 25 of the region’s 27 constituencies going red and backing Sir Keir Starmer to become Prime Minister, Manchester’s Mayor Burnham made no secret of his relief and satisfaction as the exit polls came through on Thursday night whilst sat on the panel for Sky News’ coverage.

Here’s the moment Burnham was visibly buzzing mid-broadcast:

A very happy man.

The 54-year-old was already vocally positive in the lead-up to the vote as well, responding to the now outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s claims that a Labour supermajority and “blank cheque” approach would only lead to more tax.

Quoting him on X, the former MP for Leigh simply wrote, “So it looks like the Tories are giving up on getting back into government in my lifetime. I’ll settle for that!”, along with a laughing emoji.

Notable decisions included divisive politician George Galloway being defeated by Labour in Rochdale, with the Workers Party of Britain leader absent from the live result. You can see the 2024 electoral map in full HERE.

Safe to say he also ‘woke up’, if he went to sleep at all, rather happy on Friday morning.

Read more:

The only two Greater Manchester seats to stray from the red wall were Stockport constituencies Hazel Grove and Cheadle, which still have some historic Cheshire roots where the vote was more varied and some Conservative voters still held out.

Much like the crowd in the hall over in North East Somerset and Hanham (a newly created seat), where Jacob Rees-Mogg has remained since 2010, Burnham also thoroughly enjoyed the moment he learned the Labour landside including the controversial Tory losing to Dan Norris by more than 5k votes.

Dubbing it the “[Michael] Portillo moment” he has been waiting for (referencing the Conservative frontbencher once tipped to become the party’s leader who was displaced Stephen Twigg in the 1997 election), Burnham said: “He’s been battered and he deserves to be”.

The Mayor went on to insist that “he has no clue what’s inflicted on people” – a sentiment we imagine he feels applies to the last decade and a half of Tory rule in general.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Sky News (via screenshot)/World Economic Forum

More News

The man at the centre of a murder probe in Fallowfield has been named as Fintan McDwyer, as his family issued an emotional tribute.

Crime

Family pay tribute to ‘gentle giant’ killed in violent assault in Fallowfield

News

Phil Foden says he ‘feels sorry’ for Gareth Southgate and England players have to take blame

Audio

Co-op Live and TfGM extends FREE tram travel scheme for event ticket-holders

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches