News

Transport for Greater Manchester issues travel advice ahead of Man City and Co-op Live gig clash

A night filled with guitars and goals, hopefully - but it's going to be a busy one, to say the least.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 25th November 2024

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has issued a travel warning ahead of Tuesday night ahead of a huge night of sport and music over at the Etihad Campus.

As well as tomorrow night’s football action, with Manchester City‘s next Champions League match kicking off at 8pm, a big gig is taking place at Co-op Live just next door.

While Man City are taking on Dutch side Feyenoord in what is now an even more important fixture following Pep Guardiola having now lost five in a row for the first time in his career, over the road one of the hottest bands in the rock world right now.

Set to headline Manchester’s state-of-the-art music venue for the first time, alternative metal group Sleep Token‘s landmark Northern show will be going on simultaneously, with doors to the venue due to open from 7pm. With that in mind, TfGM has urged those attending both to plan ahead.

With both events overlapping and fans of both the band and the Blues descending upon the Etihad Stadium and the arena, respectively, the local transport authority has shared details of how to best plan journeys, be they on the tram, by car or otherwise, as well as how to avoid the crowds before and after.

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It’s estimated that around 2,000 Feyenoord fans will do the usual walk up to the Etihad from Shambles Square, which will obviously cause significant disruption in the city centre, not to mention congestion when it comes to roads, buses and the Metrolink.

As per an official update from TfGM, they stated: “Those making their way home or elsewhere should re-route their journeys away from the area, consider leaving earlier to avoid the traffic or work from home on the day if it is an option for them.  

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“The transport network will be busiest between 4pm and 5:30pm on Saturday and between 5:30pm and 8pm on Tuesday.  Tram travel will be the best option for most City fans and concertgoers”

Double the amount of services are set to run throughout the day along the Eccles and Ashton-under-Lyne lines and the Altrincham and Piccadilly routes will also be extended operations to serve the added footfall heading towards the Etihad Campus.  

You can expect a tram approximately every six minutes from the city centre but they will obviously be very busy, so they have also suggested people consider the recently redeveloped walking route to the Etihad Campus, which is well-lit, stewarded and takes around 25 minutes from Piccadilly.  

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Manchester City matchday bus service will also be operating as usual, with 15 different routes operating across Greater Manchester and beyond, covering a total of 64 stops, not to mention other bus companies and the wider Bee Network.

Driving is being warned against due to the increased traffic flow but for those who must, park and ride is recommended, though Ashton Moss and Ashton West Park and Ride are expected to be the busiest, so gig-goers may want to try Hollinwood, Radcliffe or Whitefield.  

So, whether you’re heading to the concert or the game and however you choose to get there, be safe, look after each other and, most of all, have a great time.

You can read the full update for more details HERE.

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

Featured Images — G-13114 (via Wikimedia Commons)/The Manc Group

News

Drink spiking set to be made a criminal offence in the UK to ‘protect women and girls’

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Drink spiking is set to be made a criminal offence in the UK in a bid to help “protect women and girls”, it has been confirmed.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he is personally committing to halving violence women and girls by urging all police chiefs, industry executives, and transport bosses nationwide to “work together” to keep everyone safe.

The Government says this new measure will “send a clear signal that this is a crime”.

“Perpetrators should feel the full force of the law,” the Prime Minister said, adding that he believes the new law will empower victims to report offences and give them the confidence that the justice system will support them.

Drink spiking is set to be made illegal in the UK / Credit: Moses Malik Roldan (via Unsplash)

The new offence is said to be only one of part of the solution, however, as Starmer will also demand “coordinated action” to “stamp out this cowardly act” and “take back our streets”.

This will include the training of thousands of staff working in the nighttime economy on how to spot and tackle spiking, equipping them with the skills they need to prevent incidents and support victims, as well as help police to collect evidence.

With the pilot starting from next month, the aim is for this to be rolled out to up to 10,000 bar staff across the country by spring next year.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper called spiking a “disturbing and serious crime”

She continued: “That’s why we are taking decisive action to prevent this devastating crime and crack down on perpetrators by introducing a new criminal offence for spiking, and launching specialist training for thousands of bar staff nationwide.

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“People shouldn’t have to worry about the safety of their drinks on a night out.

“These changes are about giving victims greater confidence to come forward, and ensuring that there is a robust response from the police whenever this appalling crimes take place.”

Featured Image – John Arano (via Unsplash)

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The Lowry Hotel is once again offering free men’s wellbeing services to Mancs for Movember 2024

Danny Jones Danny Jones

The Lowry Hotel in Salford is doing its bit for this year’s Movember initiative by offering free men’s health and wellbeing services to local blokes.

It’s not just about the ‘tache, you know.

Yes, returning for Movember 2024, The Lowry is once again hosting a number of male-targeted events and open sessions for men in the city centre and across Greater Manchester to do some much-needed checking in, get their moustaches trimmed and more.

Teaming up with their in-house spa and fitness studio RE:TREAT for another slate of Movember events, they’re hoping to welcome local lads not only for key health scans but maybe open them up to trying something new.

After a successful month this time last year, The Lowry and RE:TREAT have doubled down with their Movember schedule, including everything from free facial hair grooming to their top-of-the-line cryotherapy sessions and even ‘broga’.

Yes, that is bro-yoga because god knows we love a little title to hook us sometimes.

While all of these are really worthwhile events and options – especially when it comes to keeping the mo’ trimmed and proper for the month – but, more importantly, they’re also inviting blokes in for some vital health sessions, both physically and mentally.

As well as offering free testicular scans (which you should aim to do once every month so) but they’re also hosting a wellness circle with Mandem Meetup, a grassroots men’s mental health charity here in the UK that align perfectly with the ideals of Movember.

While issues like testicular and prostate cancer awareness are crucial to the work that the annual month-long ‘shave and raise’ tries to promote, a key cornerstone of Movember is men’s mental health and suicide prevention – which is what makes contributions like The Lowry’s so valuable.

Even us here at The Manc are helping raise money for Movember this year.

the lowry hotel salford events
movember 2024 at the lowry manchester
The Lowry and RE:TREAT team are right behind the cause. (Credit: The Manc Group/Supplied)

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A number of the sessions have already happened this month but their biggest week yet is still to come as we approach the final few days of Movember, with this Friday set to close out their 2024 events.

The last round of free beard and moustache trims, testicular scans and cryotherapy slots are taking place this Friday, 29 November, along with the Mandem Meetupellness x RE:TREAT wellness circle from 10am onwards. Wholesome stuff.

Once again, all of these sessions are completely free of charge and last-minute drops-in are just as well come too; this initiative is all about giving men as much access to these services as possible.

You can find out more about timings and how to book your free cryotherapy slots, specifically, HERE. And Movember or not if you’ve ever been interested in seeing what the in-house spa destination at The Lowry Hotel is like, look no further…

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

Featured Images – Supplied/The Lowry

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