Someone has robbed the Rashford 1 – 0 Boris flag and its owner is raging
Yesterday, in the midst of all of the Marcus Rashford news regarding his whopping win over MPs who were refusing to provide free school meals to kids over the summer, a little bedsheet in Wythenshawe went viral.
Yesterday, in the midst of all of the Marcus Rashford news regarding his whopping win over MPs who were refusing to provide free school meals to kids over the summer, a little bedsheet in Wythenshawe went viral.
The bedsheet, fashioned into a flag, was created by the guys behind Facebook community Wythenshawe Whispers and friend of The Manc, Andrew Ellis, who is also one of the stars of This Is England. Yeah, there’s plenty of dynamics involved here.
The flag was then pinned up to a Welcome to Wythenshawe sign in a prominent part of the busy south Manchester town and it didn’t take long to go viral on social media.
The once used bedsheet then quickly found its way onto Twitter, being liked and shared by literally tens of thousands of people, including The National Football Museum, who saw an opportunity.
The flag had become instantly famous, and quite arguably, a piece of footballing and political history within hours – symbolising a rare win for the people that will result in thousands of children not going hungry during what will be a very tough summer for families in poverty.
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So, England’s most famous football shrine saw a place for it in their collection, and took to social media to find its owner.
During the lockdown period, our collections team have been chronicling how football has reacted to the pandemic.
— Nat. Football Museum (@FootballMuseum) June 17, 2020
But this story has a twist, and it’s not a surprising one at that. Because within hours of the flag going viral, some scoundrel had nicked it – and the National Football Museum are not happy.
— Nat. Football Museum (@FootballMuseum) June 17, 2020
It’s not currently known who stole the banner (obviously), or whether it was simply removed by council officials, or Boris Johnson himself (although it’s unlikely he’s ever stepped foot in Wythenshawe) – but one thing is for sure, whoever has it is a targeted man or woman.
If you do have the flag, do the right thing. Rashford’s rallying cry for a simple life necessity for children in need is the perfect symbol of standing up and getting the job done when the odds are stacked against you, and we think it’s important to have this small piece of history hanging in the middle of a football mecca in Manchester city centre.
So hand it in, you wally.
News
Former GMP officer jailed after being found guilty of several online child sex offences
Emily Sergeant
A former police officer from Salford has been sentenced after being found guilty of a string of online child sex offences.
Following a trial back in July, 35-year-old Michael Aspinall was sentenced at Preston Crown Court earlier this week (Monday 14 September) after being found guilty of three counts of attempting sexual communication with a child.
It comes after Aspinall – who was employed by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) at the time of the offences – was arrested in October 2024 by detectives from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU), and was immediately suspended from duty following his arrest.
The investigation began after evidence was obtained that Aspinall had been communicating online with individuals that he believed to be children, but he was in fact communicating with a police officer.
Following this series of interactions, he was charged with various offences.
In addition to his eight-month sentence – which has been suspended for two years – Aspinall will also be placed on the sex offender’s register for 10 years, subject to a five-year serious crime prevention order, and have undertake 20 days of rehabilitation, GMP has confirmed.
He has additionally been added to the College of Policing’s barred list.
An application to request forfeiture of Aspinall’s police pension has also been made to the Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester.
“Aspinall’s offending was clearly unacceptable for any right-minded member of society and particularly inappropriate for a serving police officer,” commented Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Humphreys, from GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate.
“His actions put the whole police service under scrutiny, but thanks to the hard work and diligence of undercover officers, he was arrested, found guilty, and has now received his punishment.”
DCI Humphreys concluded: “[Aspinall’s] actions take away from the hard work of the men and women who work so hard for their communities every day, and it is only right that anyone committing these sort of offences are rooted out.”
Featured Image – GMP
News
Council announces return of FREE firework displays in Manchester parks
Emily Sergeant
The skies over Manchester will light up once again, as free firework displays are set to return to several of the city’s parks.
You may remember that major fireworks events throughout the city had been paused following the COVID-19 pandemic, due to funding challenges, with Manchester City Council choosing to invest in a range of other community-focused events across throughout the autumn season instead, rather than one-off firework celebrations.
But now, once this November rolls around, all of that is set to change.
That’s because, on Saturday 7 November, free fireworks events will return to Heaton Park, Wythenshawe Park, and Platt Fields Park.
First up, there will be a reduced-noise, low-impact display at 5pm for families and SEND audiences, and a main fireworks display then to follow a little later at 8pm.
The Council has announced the return of free firework displays in Manchester parks / Credit: Unsplash
Each of the three parks will host lantern making workshops in the weeks leading up to the events too, with family-friendly lantern parades taking place ahead of the 8pm firework shows.
The Council says that the return of the free fireworks events reflects residents’ recent feedback about what they want to see in their community and how they want funding to be distributed.
“It’s a chance, at the start of the shorter days and beginning of the dark winter months, to come together and resume a much-loved annual tradition as well as enjoying an evening of safe entertainment and spectacular fireworks displays,” Manchester City Council said in a statement.
Councillor Basat Sheikh, who is the Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, added: “We are delighted to announce and welcome the return of our much-loved fireworks celebrations.
It’s the first time they’ve returned since the COVID-19 pandemic / Credit: Elisha Terada (via Unsplash)
“Our parks should be shared spaces that create opportunities for Manchester people to gather, which is why bringing back the fireworks displays was top of our agenda. And we also recognise the importance of community which is why we will also continue to invest in a wide range of activities in our parks throughout the year.
“The return of these events is a wonderful opportunity for families and communities to create lasting memories and enjoy the long-standing tradition of fireworks in our parks in a safe way.”
Sam Ridgway -
17th June 2020 
