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Football fans fearful as fresh plans for European Super League are announced

They don't seem to be getting the message: nobody wants this. Don't be fooled by any of it.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 9th February 2023

Football fans have been left fearful and asking why as fresh plans for a new European Super League have once again been posed by the same people behind the previous failed proposal.

According to an interview with A22 chief executive Bernd Reichart, the organisation created to help sponsor and onboard the previous Super League iteration, a new-look competition is being discussed and could contain 60-80 teams and a multi-divisional format (a key aspect it didn’t include last time).

Speaking to German outlet Die Welt, Reichart insists that the league would be based on sporting performance and merit alone, with no permanent members — again, a key issue with the franchising model set up and eventually abandoned back in 2021.

Nevertheless, despite supposed tweaks to the ‘competition’ format, the general consensus seems to be that A22‘s reassurances are an empty gesture and that the people behind this movement are once again looking to pull the wool over the eyes of football fans everywhere.

The A22 boss goes on to say that “teams would be guaranteed a minimum of 14 matches per season” and that talks with 50 possible participants have been “open, honest [and] constructive”, as well as suggesting that “clubs often find it impossible to speak out publicly against a system that uses the threat of sanctions to thwart opposition.”

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Like the chief architects tried to argue on the first attempt, Reichart insisted that “the foundations of European football are in danger of collapsing” and that “it’s time for a change.”

“It is the clubs that bear the entrepreneurial risk in football. But when important decisions are at stake, they are too often forced to sit idly by on the sidelines as the sporting and financial foundations crumble around them”. Note, very little mention of fans anywhere here.

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However, as the Football Supporters’ Association rightly pointed out, there is no need for another European competition catered towards the continent’s top clubs as one already exists: the Champions League — you know, one of the biggest and already most lucrative sporting events in the world.

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Moreover, Spanish football’s top division La Liga have also been the first to openly speak out against the Super League Mk.II, immediately rejecting the idea that home teams Real Madrid and Barcelona played a key role in championing last time round.

Writing in a statement, the organisation say: “The Super League is the wolf in the story of Little Red Riding Hood. It is disguising itself as an open and meritocratic competition, but underneath there is still the same selfish, elitist and greed-driven project. Don’t let their tales fool you.”

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Now if that doesn’t tell you what proper football people think about this idea then what will?

Regardless of how they try to spin things to make it more palatable to clubs around Europe and their fans, it is nothing more than another money-grabbing attempt at spoiling the beautiful game.

Football isn’t perfect but this isn’t the answer.

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Featured Image — Super League/Sky Sports

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Two Trafford towns are set to see dozens of new EV charging points installed imminently

Danny Jones Danny Jones New EV charging points being installed in Trafford Borough

Two big towns on the border of Greater Manchester and Cheshire are set to see a fresh batch of electric vehicle (EV) charging points installed throughout their streets by Trafford Council very soon.

Local authorities have teamed up with engineering and infrastructure company Amey to roll out a series of new EV charging stations across Trafford, starting with Altrincham and Hale.

Dating all the way back to 2020, the collaboration with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the brand was tasked with helping improve sustainable travel across the area as the government body’s electric vehicle charging suppliers.

Steady improvements have been made across the 10 boroughs, but this particular update marks one of the biggest network upgrades that the likes of Alty and Hale have seen for some time.

Issuing a statement on Wednesday, 17 September, the firm – which specialises in managing, designing and maintaining complex facilities and transport infrastructure across the country – announced that they will “start the installation of EV charging points in Trafford in the coming weeks.”

It is expected that “up to 100 new public charges” will be integrated throughout the respective town centres and residential streets as the suburbs continues to push towards its sustainability goals.

As per Altrincham Today, Amey account director Anna Gornall said: “We’re excited to launch our first EV charge points in Trafford, working in partnership with Trafford Council (TC) to make electric vehicle charging more accessible to local communities.

“As the UK’s leading provider of energy transition and decarbonisation solutions, we’re well placed to use our existing expertise and resources to support TC in delivering a holistic public EV charging network for local communities.

“We’re helping residents make the switch, so everyone can plug in and power a greener Trafford.”

The country at large has various carbon-free initiatives, including the aspiration of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050; the electoral ward of Trafford itself continues to thrive in this field, having recently won environmental accolades, including 12 ‘Green Flag Awards’ this past July.

Peter Anderson, Managing Director of Transport Infrastructure at Amey, commented: “This is a pivotal moment in Amey’s energy transition strategy. By leveraging our extensive experience in whole lifecycle asset management, strong partnerships, and innovative solutions, we can deliver value for both our clients and members of the public who will use Amey’s electric vehicle charge points.

“Working with Trafford Council, we are making electric vehicle charging more accessible to local communities and helping residents make the switch to EVs.

“Amey is well-positioned to support emerging opportunities within this landscape, and we are delighted to be working with Trafford and other local authorities to provide the public EV infrastructure needed to achieve the government’s transition to net zero.”

As for Trafford Council, Corporate Director of Place, Richard Roe, went on to add: “We are delighted to be working with Amey on this project to bring more and better charging options to the people of Trafford.

“This is an extension to the current EV charging options in the borough and is great news for committed EV owners and those who are thinking about going electric.”

The incredible plans to build floating walkways over Manchester’s waterways
The new slate of EV charging points will be funded by City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements – and that’s not all…

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Featured Images — Publicity pictures (via Amey Ltd)

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Further disruption expected as more bus strikes announced across Greater Manchester

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Further disruption is expected as even more bus strikes have been announced across Greater Manchester this autumn.

It comes after the strikes set to place this month from 19 to 22 September were announced a couple of weeks back, and now a second round will take place towards the end of this month and going into early October.

In case this is the first you’re hearing of the upcoming industrial action, 2,000 workers who are employed by Stagecoach, Metroline Manchester, and First Bus Rochdale – all of which are firms among those that make up the bus part of the Bee Network – are due to walk out in a co-ordinated strike amid an ongoing pay dispute.

Unite the Union says all the firms are ‘highly profitable’ and it’s therefore ‘disappointing’ that workers are being denied a fair wage.

More strikes have been announced on the Bee Network this month / Credit: TfGM

At Stagecoach, around 1,000 drivers based across the Oldham, Stockport, and Middleton depots have rejected a pay offer of 3.5%, and 1,000 Metroline Manchester members will also do the same after turning down an ‘unsatisfactory’ below-inflation pay offer.

Workers at both Metroline and Stagecoach believe the offer doesn’t address years of low pay they’ve recieved, especially given the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Then, over at First Bus Rochdale, 110 members have rejected this year’s pay offer of 6%, as they feel this does not go far enough to address the fact they’ve had years of being paid less than their counterparts at other companies, and are still the lowest paid in the region.

Stagecoach, Metroline, and First Bus Rochdale, part of First Group PLC, are all firms which have seen a rise in profits in recent years.

2,000 drivers are set to stage strike action over two different periods / Credit: TfGM

The second round of strikes will now take place from from 30 September to 2 October.

Speaking ahead of both sets of upcoming strikes, Unite General Secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “These companies are very profitable but are putting greed over their hardworking members of staff.

“Further strike action will be extremely disruptive, however this is a dispute entirely of the bus companies’ making and they could solve it easily by coming back with a better deal.

“Our members involved in the dispute have Unite’s complete support.”

Unite Regional Officer, Colin Hayden, added: “The strikes this week as well as the further action we have called will cause travel chaos in Greater Manchester. However, it is entirely the fault of the employers involved, who have failed to address the issue of low pay and reward their staff accordingly.

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“Unite is not afraid to escalate to more strikes, which will only intensify going forward.

“It is time for the employers to make an offer that is acceptable to our members to resolve this disruption.”

Featured Image – TfGM

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