Football has an incredible ability to bring people together – and perhaps no club illustrates this better than Angels United FC.
A very different kind of football team, Angels United were originally formed by a group of fathers – all of whom had suffered the devastating loss of a child.
By getting together, they realised they could all “play the beautiful game that they love 90 minutes…and thrive in that environment”.
A club rep explains: “When we take to the pitch we support each other and it gives the opportunity to represent our Angels on the pitch.”
Courtesy of Angels United FC
This special sports team is expanding, too – becoming a support system for entire families.
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According to club representatives, Angels United have widened their focus because “it isn’t just fathers who are affected: It’s mothers, brothers, sisters who also experience grief”.
Their new mission is to help anyone who has suffered heartbreaking bereavement – making sure that mums and partners of players are involved with all the decisions that need to be made in relation to the club.
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Angels United are still very in the early stages, having only played their first game in October 2020.
They’re also still on the lookout for a permanent home; seeking support from local businesses to act as sponsors.
But what the club lacks in experience, it makes up for in ambition – with some very big plans for the future.
Going forward, Angels United are hoping to bring in a mental health professional or counsellor – who will work alongside players and families.
They’re also aiming to become a registered charity; raising awareness about what people go through after suffering a child bereavement.
“There are words such as ‘widow’ for someone who has lost their husband, [but] as far as we are concerned there is no word to describe someone who has lost their child,” Angels United reps explained.
“We call them family and [we] want to be that shining light and safety net for families who reach to us.”
If you’d like to learn more about how you can get involved with Angels United, contact the club via their social media pages on Facebook,Instagram and Twitter.
Sport
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.
Kate Jackson -
3rd November 2020 
