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Marcus Rashford racially abused by teacher after Europa League defeat

The footballer said he received at least '70 racial slurs' just hours after Manchester United lost in the Europa League Final.

The Manc The Manc - 27th May 2021

Marcus Rashford has been targeted with a torrent of racial abuse in the wake of Manchester United’s Europa League final defeat.

The footballer said he’d received dozens of racist messages following United’s game in Poland on Wednesday (May 26) – which the Red Devils lost on penalties to Villarreal.

Posting on Twitter after the match, Rashford revealed there had been “at least 70 racial slurs” sent to his social media accounts.

One of the abusive messages was from a maths teacher.

Rashford posted: “At least 70 racial slurs on my social accounts counted so far. For those working to make me feel any worse than I already do, good luck trying.

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He added: “I’m more outraged that one of the abusers that left a mountain of monkey emojis in my DM is a maths teacher with an open profile. He teaches children!! And knows that he can freely racially abuse without consequence…”

The incident is already reigniting conversations about the need for social media to tackle discrimination – with the abuse against Rashford coming just weeks after English football boycotted platforms as a show of solidarity against racism.

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Many of Rashford’s 4.4 million followers have since rushed to support the striker – who has been widely hailed as the ultimate role model during the pandemic.

Rashford made headlines off the field in 2020 for forcing the government into two separate U-turns over free school meals, earning himself a direct line to No. 10 in the process.

He also launched a book club (working with football journalist Carl Anka to produce a book titled YOU are a Champion in a bid to ‘inspire children who dream big’) and teamed up with Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge to help families cook healthy meals on a budget.

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A documentary on Rashford’s work to ‘feed Britain’s children’ aired on BBC One in December.

Featured image: @MarcusRashford

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Castlefield is being transformed into Gotham amidst more Hollywood filming in Greater Manchester

Danny Jones Danny Jones Clayface Batman villain DC movie filming in Castlefield, Manchester

Castlefield, with its iconic viaduct and cobbled streets, is once again being used for big-budget filming as the latest Batman/DC Universe title, Clayface, looks to be setting up in the eye-catching Manc corner.

Whether it’s football kit reveals and brand shoots, BBC dramas or the next upcoming Netflix series, production crews can’t get enough of Castlefield, it would seem.

For those who hadn’t heard, work on the new Clayface movie revolving around the cult favourite Batman villain is well underway, and the North West has been used as the backdrop on multiple ocassions this month already.

You can see early glimpses of the set being put together down below.

https://x.com/TheMancUK/status/1967944490360226167

Come on, how cool is it that we get to stumble on stuff like this right on our doorstep so often?

Speaking to The Manc, a source detailed that the set is being assembled today (Tuesday, 16 September) ahead of a single day of principal photography on what we can only assume is more Clayface filming sometime tomorrow.

While she could not confirm with us directly, she said, “If you’re a comic book nerd and look at the posters, you’ll be able to figure it out.” We’ve certainly been studying all the easter eggs already.

It might not quite be as dark and gritty as Gotham City, but this particular part of Manchester has been used in TV and film – especially period dramas – many times for good reason.

The Victorian-era steel structure, dark red brick and overall industrial aesthetic work so well when it comes to creating a believable and cinematic world.

Besides perhaps the most famous instance of Peaky Blinders shooting in these parts, you can add multiple music videos, several Manchester United and Man City shirt launches, and so many more that we’re starting to lose track.

As for Clayface, this isn’t even the first time the upcoming DC ‘body-horror’ flick has popped up in Greater Manchester.

Last week saw the equally striking Art Deco facade of the old The Plaza Super Cinema in Stockport turned into a fictional movie premiere to stunning effect:

We can’t get enough of stuff like this; we know there have been plenty of instances of Hollywood films and various TV projects utilising our streets and increasingly recognisable surroundings, but it still makes us feel like excited little kids.

Speaking of, another childhood favourite is filming here in Manchester right now, too.

Besides perhaps the most famous instance of Peaky Blinders shooting in these parts, the new Narnia adaptation by Greta Gerwig may just be one of the biggest projects that has ever landed underneath the familiar ‘birdcage’.

ln fact, it just so happens that there are actually multiple noteworthy small and silver screen works fighting over the Castlefield shooting schedule at the moment…

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Featured Images — The Manc Group

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Manchester City staff member sacked after wearing Man United shirt to shift

Danny Jones Danny Jones Man City staff member sacked after wearing Man United shirt on the bar on derby day

Man City have divided a fair few supporters after they sacked a barman for wearing a United shirt to their shift during the Manchester derby.

Although it’s not exactly surprising, the decision has ruffled plenty of feathers on both sides, as well as among neutral fans.

The Blues emerged victorious in the 197th clash between the two local rivals, winning 3-0 on an evening that paid tribute to the late, great Ricky Hatton, but another backstory looming over the fixture that caught the attention of football fans online was the City staff member who lost his job.

Working on concessions inside the Etihad Stadium before the game, the barman was made known to the official MCFC Matchday Support channel on X, who quickly confirmed he had been let go before the game even began.

In the since-deleted post, the home fan who reported the worker wrote: “Absolute joke – letting one of the bar staff in block 315 wear a United shirt on Derby Day.”

Although many City fans applauded the fast action by the club on the day, it’s fair to say that sacking him so soon that he didn’t even last until kick-off has rubbed many others the wrong way.

One Liverpool fan commented: “I hate United way more than City, but to sack him from a job because of an item of clothing is crazy. So, so poor from Manchester City, this. It’s just football lads, he’s not wearing a political or derogatory symbol. It’s literally a football team…”

Another neutral added: “Getting a minimum wage worker sacked for having a bit of fun instead of just winding him up is the absolute sad state this country is in.”

Even the ‘Out Of Context Football Manager‘ parody account chipped in, writing: “The guy’s been sacked for this. All he needed was a formal warning. I get he’s taking the p*ss – but losing a salary he might really need over this?!

While many have been even more outspoken in their response, as you can see, many supporters – be they Red or otherwise – have come up with arguably the perfect solution:

Manchester City are yet to comment on the backlash, apart from the initial confirmation that the still-anonymous staff member has been released from his position, but as for Man United, simply sticking him on the kiosks in the Stretford End could prove to be a very easy bit of positive PR.

Besides the growing frustration around the fanbase, as Ruben Amorim has yet to turn things around at Old Trafford (pressure was growing even before the derby day defeat), the Red Devils could no doubt do with some positive press for a change.

In fact, it was only earlier this year that co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, CEO Omar Berrada and the wider INEOS Sports administration sanctioned a second round of redundancies at United, with approximately 450 individuals losing their jobs.

That being said, although some have labelled the sacking of the now ex-City barman as “absolutely horrendous behaviour” for Man City, many jumped to quip back that “[United are] more likely to sack more bar staff, not hire them”, as well as simultaneously taking aim at their significant transfer spending.

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Featured Images — Mataniels via X (now deleted)/The Manc Group

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