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This is why Andy Burnham met the Pope and gave him a Manchester United shirt

It's not as bizarre as it initially seems.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 21st April 2023

In what was one of the more bizarre things to happen yesterday, Andy Burnham met the Pope and gave him a Manchester United shirt.

And people were, understandably, quite puzzled by the whole thing.

It goes without saying that if you were one of several thousand people who saw the now-viral pictures of the Mayor of Greater Manchester meeting the head of the worldwide Catholic Church yesterday in the Vatican, then it’s only natural you’d probably questioning as to why.

Especially when you throw into the mix the fact the Pope was also given a signed and framed Manchester United shirt of Argentinian defender Lisandro Martínez as a gift.

But despite the public confusion, there was actually a very good reason as to why Andy Burnham was joined by several of Greater Manchester‘s other civic leaders and members of the faith community as he met Pope Francis in the Vatican City yesterday – and it was all to pledge a commitment to tackling climate change ahead of Earth Day 2023.

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Burnham and the other leaders were given the chance to discuss with the Pope how Greater Manchester is making efforts to tackle the climate crisis.

They then also made a formal commitment in his presence on the action they pledge to take in future.

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The group was led by Bishop of Salford John Arnold and Dean of Manchester Rogers Govender, and as well as Burnham, was also made up of the Lord Mayor of Manchester Donna Ludford, Bishop of Manchester David Walker, Gorton MP Mohammed Afzal Kahn, and Chair of the Manchester Climate Change Partnership Mike Wilton.

City Centre Methodist Minister Reverend Ian Rutherford, Rabbi Robyn Ashworth Steen from the Manchester Reform Synagogue, environmental officers from both the Diocese of Manchester and Salford, and members of the Sikh and Hindu communities also attended.

This is why Andy Burnham met the Pope and gave him a Manchester United shirt / Credit: Andy Burnham (via Twitter)

“This is the first time that all the faith leaders of Greater Manchester have come together with civic leaders to agree our pledge for a greener Greater Manchester region,” Mayor Andy Burnham explained after the meeting yesterday,

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“It will give me great pride to be at The Vatican to witness the historic moment our faith and civic leaders make our commitment to the Holy Father.”

Although the reason as to why he was given a signed Manchester United shirt as a gift hasn’t exactly been confirmed, the fact Pope Francis is also from Argentina just like Lisandro Martínez, this does give some context.

Martínez said of the meeting on Twitter: “Thanks to Manchester United and Andy Burnham for giving my shirt to His Holiness Pope Francis, for whom I feel great respect and enormous pride as an Argentine.”

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He was apparently also given a Manchester City shirt as well, probably for a bit of equal representation, although this detail didn’t go quite as viral, and it hasn’t been confirmed which player’s name was on the back of the shirt.

Featured Image – Manchester Cathedral

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Oldham Council is asking local kids to name its six new gritters

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Oldham Council has announced the news that a handful of its hardest-working salt spreaders are retiring this year.

After gritting more than a million miles between them over several years of “super service”, it’s now the end of the icy road for six of Oldham‘s famously-named gritting fleet, and a new wintery journey is gearing up to begin for the town’s replacements machines.

But, you know that that means – the the popular ‘name a gritter’ competition is back once again.

With the nights drawing in, and the weather getting colder and colder by the day, it won’t be long before local residents will be able to see the big yellow machines traveling around the borough spreading grit and salt.

Fan-favourites Winston Chur-chill and Nicole Saltslinger will be making welcome returns this year, but they’ll also be joined by six newbies, and it’s our job to name them equally-iconic names.

Oldham Council‘s ‘name a gritter’ competition is now open, and it’s hoped that primary and junior-age children in the town will, once again, come through with “an avalanche of entries” like they have done in the past.

Brad Grit, Gritiana Grande, Snowbee One Kenobi, Nick Gritshaw, Leonardo de-ice-io, and Basil Salty are just some of the names of the gritters who’ve spread Oldham’s salt in previous years, so they should be able to serve as inspiration for what the Council’s looking for.

The winning names from this year’s competition will be added to the front of the six new cabs.

“Oldham Council was one of the first local authorities in the country to name its gritting fleet, and since then many others have followed our lead,” Councillor Chris Goodwin, who is Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said as the competition opens.

“In the past, we’ve always run the competition as a bit of fun and it’s really captured the imagination of our young people, so please urge your children to get their thinking caps on and send in some names.”

/ Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Unfortunately, Cllr Goodwin did stress that this year’s competition is only open to all children aged four to 11 who live in Oldham or attend one of the boroughs primary or junior schools, and that any “40-odd-year-old ‘comic’s who are thinking of sending in unfunny names” should thinking again, because they’ve “heard it all before”.

As social media suggestions “will not be accepted”, parents, guardians, and carers will need to help their little Oldhamers get their entries in on the Oldham Council website here, and you’ll need to make sure the child’s details are included, plus how the Council can contact you.

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The closing date for entries is 11:59pm on Friday 3 November.

All naming suggestions will then be put to a panel of councillors and council officers to have the final say, and the lucky winners will be invited down to the town’s Moorhey Street depot to have their photo taken with the gritter they’ve named.

Featured Image – Oldham Council

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Four jailed for over 70 years for ‘daylight murder’ of Withington teen Kyle Hackland

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Four teenagers have been collectively sentenced to more than 70 years for the murder of another teenager in Withington last year.

Kyle Hackland, who was just 17 at the time, was brutally stabbed in broad daylight in Withington at around midday back on Tuesday 22 November 2022, and went on to sadly pass away in hospital as a result of his injuries – which were described as “catastrophic”.

He was described as “kind and well-mannered young boy who never failed to say “love you” as he walked out the door” in a tribute paid by his loving family at the time.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) launched a murder investigation shortly after.

Detective Superintendent Neil Jones, of GMP South Manchester Division, said at the time that the force understood the incident would “cause distress and concern to the community and across Manchester”, but assured the public it was an isolated incident and there was no wider threat.

Several men were subsequently charged in connection with the incident nearly two weeks later on 7 December, and were remanded in custody while awaiting trial.

And now, after the trial at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court has finally concluded yesterday (Tuesday 3 October), and accumulative sentences of more than 70 years were handed out, all four men have been publicly named.

They have been named as Yousef Sesay (24/11/2004), Lewis Ludford (05/12/2004), Tafari Kosey-Smith (26/06/2006), and Alfie Benson (30/03/2006).

Sesay was sentenced to 22 years, Ludford for 21 years (with two years concurrent for a bladed article), and Kosey-Smith for 19 years (with two years concurrent for a bladed article), after all were found guilty of murder.

Benson has been jailed for 12 years (with two years concurrent for burglary offences) after being found guilty of manslaughter.

Kyle lost his life in what the court heard this week was “a pre-mediated revenge attack”, and was “brutally attacked with knives” by the four teenagers during the “violent assault” in broad daylight.

Yousef Sesay
Lewis Ludford
Alfie Benson
Tafari Kosey-Smith
Four jailed for over 70 years for ‘daylight murder’ of Withington teen Kyle Hackland / Credit: GMP

“This is another heartbreaking example of how carrying a knife can have devastating consequences in a matter of seconds,” said Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector David Moores, after the trial concluded yesterday.

“Our thoughts as a force are once again with Kyle’s loved ones, who will have to continue to live with the pain, but hopefully this can be eased in some way with the conviction of his killers.

“Officers in our Major Incident Team have worked tirelessly to bring justice, and, in our role, we are reminding any young person willing to carry a knife to put it down and think twice before doing so.

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“It is not worth it and can ultimately cost yours and other people’s lives.”

Featured Image – GMP

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