A group of lifelong Bolton Wanderers and Plymouth Argyle fans are set to have their years of service and support rewarded by becoming part of the Guard of Honour at this year’s EFL Trophy final.
Drummed up with lead sponsor Papa Johns, six deserving and long-serving supporters from each side have been selected to be part of a special pre-match ceremony that will see them join the congratulatory Guard of Honour as they usher the players onto the pitch for the final of the historic cup competition.
Welcoming heroes from their respective teams onto the hallowed ground of Wembley, these faithful football fans and seasoned match-goers will not only get to line up in front of the tunnel as so many players have before, but they will also arrive like royalty on a private coach and get to meet club legends.
This once-in-a-lifetime experience is part of the EFL’s wider community programme aimed at providing opportunities for over 55s, such as the Extra Time Hubs dotted around the country which help arrange activities and social spaces for ageing football fans all across the UK. This is what we like to hear.
Veteran Bolton fan, Bob GrenvilleLifelong Plymouth fan, Cynthia JagoA dozen dedicated Bolton and Plymouth fans will help give the Guard of Honour in the 2023 EFL Trophy final
Those who have been selected, many of whom are retired, were recognised not only for their unerring support but for their own unique and fascinating stories down the years.
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A Bolton fan for more than 70 years, Stella Peel was just 14 when she used to sneak out of the house to go games as her father didn’t like her watching football.
As for the Argyle fans involved, veteran Dave Boobier has been a supporter since the first post-WWII season of 1945/46, and Dave Sellick was witness to the incredible match which saw the late, great Pelé and Brazilian giants Santos beaten by his side 3-2 at home back in 1973. Imagine that.
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Behind every fan is a backstory and these lot have seen more than their fair share down the years.
The Papa Johns EFL Trophy Final kicks off at 3pm on 2 April, with Wanderers facing up against The Pilgrims in the Greater Manchester side’s first visit to Wembley in 12 years.
Bolton boss Ian Evatt said his club’s fans “deserve a big day out” after this season and everything they’ve been through in recent years. His squad will no doubt do everything they can to try and deliver.
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 -
29th March 2023 
