Police have praised the “great defiance to disorder” shown by Greater Manchester’s communities amid ongoing protests.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has issued another statement amid widespread far-right protests and counter-demonstrations taking place in towns and cities throughout the UK – predominantly here in the north – following the devastating killing of three young girls and the injuring of several others during a knife attack in the Merseyside seaside town of Southport at the end of last month.
Hundreds of people have been detained and arrested by police nationwide over the last few days following the riots – including 47 people here in Greater Manchester.
A Bolton man, 18, has also become the first to be jailed for his involvement in the protests.
As fresh protest rumours began to swirl, with police forces nationwide informing the public ahead of Wednesday evening (7 August) that they were aware of more than 100 potential planned demonstrations across the country, GMP issued a statement to the Greater Manchester public on the “current tension” and explaining the action it was taking.
But, after much of those rumours materialised into nothing, GMP decided to address the local public once again with a fresh statement thanking and praising those who showed up to “express their views” in a “peaceful” and “lawful” manner.
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The statement reads: “Policing operations for protests or disorder are often complex, and the eyes of the country are on us.
Police have praised the ‘great defiance to disorder’ by Greater Manchester communities amid ongoing protests / Credit: GMP
“We would like to thank residents across Greater Manchester who attended protests last night and expressed their views in a peaceful and lawful manner.
“Many have shown great defiance to disorder and intolerable behaviour, and we would like to reiterate our gratitude to the majority of our law-abiding residents, businesses, and visitors, for their support and determination to keep our communities safe.
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“As a result of a well-resourced and proactive policing operation, we were able to ensure those intent on committing harm were swiftly detained with minimal disruption to the wider public.”
GMP insisted that while Wednesday evening “passed without significant disorder”, its officers “are not complacent” and will continue to take a proactive approach to ensure that anyone participating in criminal activity “faces the full force of the law”.
#UPDATE | We would like to thank residents across GM who attended protests last night and expressed their views in a peaceful manner.
In total, we made seven arrests overnight, all of whom were wanted in connection with disorder from the weekend.
The statement continues: “We recognise that this is an uncertain time for all our communities, and we remain committed to working with you all to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum.
“Whilst we have seen an increase in misinformation being circulated online, attempting to fuel divisions, we are proud that our communities are standing against this and working with our officers on the ground.
“So many of our dedicated officers, staff and emergency service colleagues have deployed across the force, day and night, to make sure our communities are safe, and feel safe to have their voices heard.
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“We will continue to engage with people across Greater Manchester in the coming days and weeks, if you have any concerns, please speak to us.”
Featured Images – GMP
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Almost Famous announce they are closing their Withington restaurant in candid statement
Danny Jones
The unfortunate hospitality news just keeps coming, it seems, as Almost Famous have announced they will soon be closing their Withington restaurant.
A staple of the Manchester foodie scene for over a decade now and with a growing empire across the North, the ‘dirty burger’ pioneers aren’t just one of the most recognisable restaurant names in Greater Manchester, they’re tastemakers and have been for years.
However, unlike the OG site in the Northern Quarter which first began blowing burger fans away back in 2012, their Great Northern Warehouse venue or their locations in Leeds, Almost Famous‘ Withington site simply isn’t working.
In truth, their most recent restaurant and fifth all-told had been struggling for a while and it was only back in May that they were thanking customers for helping them ‘pull through’ a rough patch, but it seems they’ve sadly slumped back into being quiet and can no longer continue in this fashion.
Explaining in the lengthy and clearly emotional statement, beloved owner Beau Myers wrote: “Announcement (sad sh***y one, sorry).
Sorry to say we will be closing the Withington branch of Almost Famous. It’s not working, we’re not busy enough and it’s dragging us down.
“Really sorry to disappoint you guys, we’ve tried and we’ve pushed and you’ve been amazing for supporting us, this just isn’t the one. Sometimes you have to hold your hands up, admit you f****d up, learn from your mistakes limit the damage and move on.
“We got sucked in with perhaps the most beautiful site ever in the wrong location (for us). It really is/was my fav[ourite] famous and I’m gutted it’s closing, it looks the coolest, we had the staff party there this year. I wish some of the art wasn’t straight on the wall so we could take it with us.”
Almost Famous Withington will be closing after their final dinner service next weekend. (Credit: The Manc Group)
They go on to add: “We will be closing after service on Sunday 22nd (next weekend). Please come down and say goodbye and enjoy this beautiful place one last time before it goes forever. There will be drinks and tears and laughs.
Having visited the particular branch a few times ourselves not only in a work capacity but in our own personal time, we can confirm the Withington restaurant had a special charm to it and we’re also very sad to see it go.
It goes without saying that the comments were filled with support, with one person writing, “This is so sad I’m so sorry: you’ve tried really hard. Sad loss for Withington”, and another adding, “Always sad when a place with friendly staff, serving good food, good drinks and at a reasonable price doesn’t make it… onwards and upwards.”
RIP Almost Famous Withy — we hope you come back one day soon and we’re sure the whole team will bounce back stronger than ever no matter what comes next for the much-loved brand.
The hearing over Manchester City’s 115 FFP charges will officially start next week
Danny Jones
After more than a year of speculation as to when proceedings will finally start, it has been confirmed that the hearing regarding Manchester City and their 115 FFP charges is set to begin next week.
Man City were first slapped with the laundry list of alleged breaches of FFP (financial fair play) and failure to comply with Premier League rules on profit and sustainability (PSR) back in February 2023, but little movement on the case has been reported since then.
In that time, they also won the coveted Treble and their record-breaking fourth league title in a row; meanwhile, the club have continued to deny all claims of rule-breaking.
However, it has now been revealed that City‘s hearing will now kick off on Monday, 16 September.
BREAKING: The hearing over Manchester City's 115 charges will start on Monday 🚨 pic.twitter.com/9ujOCryVMF
As explained in various reports, given the extended nature of the claims made against the Manchester side, it is estimated that the case could run on for up to two months if not longer.
Furthermore, it is thought a decision isn’t expected to arrive until spring 2025 – again, this is simply due to the number of charges brought up over the best part of a decade.
In case you need a refresher, the allegations levelled at Man City date back to 2009 and concern a supposed nine years of financial irregularities, as well as subverting UEFA FFP rules.
Some of the accusations made against them also include failing to cooperate with the European football body and the Premier League, as well as offering ‘secret contracts’ so as to pay one particular manager a larger sum than what they recorded in their financial statements.
The final verdict, whenever it is reached, will be handed down by an independent commission and City will still be able to make an official appeal.
It goes without saying that were they to be found guilty, it would be the biggest financial scandal in English football history and could be seismic for the future of money in the sport and regulations surrounding ownership, which have already grown tighter following the charges being issued.
And in case you needed a more detailed refresher on what exactly they are being tried for and what the possibilities are regarding punishment if found guilty, here’s a quick rundown:
Emily Sergeant -
9th August 2024 
