Altrincham FC is continuing to establish itself as a cornerstone of the local community beyond just the football as the club is now looking to host a brand-new concert series.
The National League side announced this week that following meetings between members of the board and supporters groups, a plan has been put together to bring “large-scale” live music to The J. Davidson Stadium at Moss Lane for the first time ever.
Following initial talks, it has now been proposed that Alty FC‘s stadium will host “two high-profile” concert dates in 2025 under the banner of the ‘Proudly Altrincham’ series.
While the initiative could see plenty of other entertainment events under the same banner, the exciting new community attraction will start with live gigs.
🆕 Altrincham FC to develop ‘𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗔𝗹𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗺’ Large-Scale Community Concerts in 2025 😍
The Greater Manchester team will help deliver the inaugural Proudly Altrincham weekend event series, focusing on creating a live music experience for the local community to enjoy, with the first gigs scheduled for May 2025.
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Collaborating with local organiser Max Eden of Cheshire Concerts – the same team behind Hale Barns and Bowdonbury festivals, as well as Happy Radio UK – the proposed events are aiming to feature “headline performances by multi-million record-selling artists”.
They’re going big and bold with these plans but they’re also hoping it will serve as an opportunity to help support grassroots musicians and local performers, combining an “unforgettable entertainment experience” with contributions to the community and the obvious economic benefits.
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As per the official statement released on Wednesday, 23 October, the ultimate goal is to continue “showcasing and championing Altrincham and its Football Club as a vibrant cultural hub.”
Likely to draw in thousands from around the region and beyond, the hope is to create not only additional revenue for the football club but also to help nearby restaurants, shops and independent businesses.
Weekends could soon go from this……to scenes like these.Credit: Bill Boaden (via Geograph)/Orna W (via Pixabay)
Ensuring that the community remains a part of the process not just on paper but in practice too, Altrincham FC has invited local residents and business owners to attend a consultation open evening about the potential concert series on Tuesday, October 29th.
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Taking place from 6-8pm in the John King Sponsors Lounge at their home ground, the event is open to the public and will provide a platform for questions, feedback and ideas to “create an experience that benefits everyone”. The club recently saw an influx of new investment so it’s a fun time to be a Robin.
CEO of Altrincham FC, Samantha Mackenzie commented: “These concerts represent a unique opportunity for the club to give back to the community and bring something truly special to Altrincham.
“We’re incredibly excited about working with Cheshire Concerts to not only bring world-class entertainment to the area but also to boost our local economy and enhance community spirit.
“We look forward to working hand-in-hand with local residents to ensure these events are a resounding success for everyone involved.”
Details released of Andy Burnham’s meetings with Manchester City owners while Mayor
Emily Sergeant
Details of Andy Burnham’s meetings with Manchester City owners during his tenure as Mayor of Greater Manchester have been released.
In case you need bringing up to speed on the situation a little first, Manchester City was found guilty back in September all of its charges related to the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period, and on top of that, was also found guilty of the majority of charges in relation to its failure to co-operate with the League’s investigation.
According to the Premier League, the independent Commission found that Manchester City had arranged so-called ‘sham’ commercial deals with a number of its sponsors.
These were part of a disguised funding scheme – with those sponsors only required to pay a portion of the relevant sponsorship fees.
The remainder was then funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG), which owned the club.
The Commission also concluded, as quoted by the Premier League, that the club had ‘made concerted efforts to stop and frustrate the Premier League investigation’.
Within the past week or so, it has since come to light that now-Prime Minister Andy Burnham had dealings with Manchester City during his tenure as Greater Manchester Mayor, and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has now issued a public statement, giving details on the matter and what these ‘dealings’ entailed.
A spokesperson for GMCA confirmed that Burnham had a ‘formal meeting’ with Man City Chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, back in October 2021.
The statement reads in full: “In October 2021, Andy Burnham, in his role as Mayor of Greater Manchester, had a formal meeting with Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the UK Government’s Global Investment Summit arranged by the Department for International Trade.
“In his capacity as Mayor, he was a guest of Manchester City FC at home matches on a small number of occasions, including attending Vincent Kompany’s testimonial match in September 2019, where he met the Chairman informally in the stands. These have been declared in the usual way.
“Also during his time as Mayor, representatives of Greater Manchester sporting clubs would routinely join business delegations as part of Mayoral international visits.
“This included representatives from Manchester United travelling to Austin and Dublin, Lancashire Cricket Club joining a delegation to India, and Manchester City FC staff supporting visits to China and Japan.”
Featured Image – Lauren Hurley / Number 10 Downing Street (Press Image via Flickr)
Sport
Multiple arrests made for ‘tragedy chanting’ and police officer assault as Man City defeated Liverpool
Emily Sergeant
Multiple people were arrested over the weekend as Manchester City defeated Liverpool in a Premier League clash.
Merseyside Police have confirmed that a total of 10 people were arrested during the policing operation at Liverpool’s home ground of Anfield as they hosted Manchester City on Sunday 11 October.
One man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police constable, five were on suspicion of tragedy chanting, one on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly, two for affray, and one on suspicion of throwing items onto the pitch.
Police are now appealing to the public, and are particularly looking to speak to witnesses of the assault of the officer.
At around 6:35pm, as fans left the stadium, a police officer sustained a ‘serious facial injury’ during the arrest of a man on Anfield Road, and was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment but is now recovering at home.
Investigating officers are now conducting enquiries, speaking to witnesses, and analysing CCTV and camera phone footage.
Chief Inspector Leanne Hobin said it’s ‘extremely disappointing’ that an officer has sustained a serious injury while carrying out their duty.
“I hope the arrests send a clear message and act as a deterrent to others,” Chief Inspector Hobin continued. “Anyone who engages in this abhorrent behaviour risks ending up in custody and getting a criminal record.
“Despite the actions of a few, the overwhelming majority of the 60,000 fans in attendance behaved well and I want to thank them for their co-operation.”
Manchester City ended up defeated Liverpool 3-0 during the Premier League clash at Anfield.
Danny Jones -
24th October 2024 
