Fans from rival Manchester football teams are being urged to take separate travel routes to the FA Cup final this weekend.
History is repeating itself and tensions are building by the day, as Manchester United and Manchester City prepare to face each other in an all-Manchester final of the Emirates FA Cup at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 25 May.
2023 was the first time the two Manchester clubs battled it out for the FA Cup title in the final in the 153-year-old football competition’s illustrious history, and it was victory for the Citizens, with the trophy forming a crucial piece of their treble-winning season… but, in what seems to be a repeating turn of events, 2024 is the year of the re-match.
And, to no surprise, it’s all set to be a massive day for football fans in our football-obsessed city.
But for those fans who are planning to make the trip down to London for the big day on Saturday, National Highways is urging them to take separate travel routes.
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Man City and Man United fans urged to take separate travel routes to FA Cup final / Credit: The FA / Manchester City (via Twitter)
With kick-off at 3pm, England’s motorways operator has set out a plan to help fans avoid traffic hold-ups before and after the crucial match.
To make it as smooth as a journey for everyone as possible, City fans travelling to the capital have been advised to use the M62 and M1 to get to Wembley, while United supporters should use the M6, M42, and the M40 instead, according to National Highways.
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Given the fact the FA Cup final this year has already sold out, this means that some 90,000 fans are expected to be heading to England‘s national stadium for the game.
Hundreds of extra coaches are being laid on to get both sets of fans to Wembley and home again, while many others are expected to drive themselves to the match either on the day, or as part of a weekend break to the capital with family and friends.
And of course, the influx of football traffic will be on top of all the rest of the journeys being made on the major motorway routes by the general public for a variety of other non-football related reasons across the weekend.
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Because of increased traffic numbers, the FA is also urging fans to “plan their journey well in advance” and “consider the options in place to support them” as a means of keeping everyone safe.
The two Manchester teams will face each other in the FA Cup final on Saturday 25 May at 3pm / Credit: The FA
National Highways has also provided travel tips for football fans.
“Our message to everyone driving down for the final is to plan their journeys carefully, follow our advice on routes, look out for incidents or congestion once they are on the road, and heed any advice on our electronic signs,” explained Gary Farrell – who is National Highways’ senior network planner for the North West.
“Stopping for regular breaks will not only help keep you fresh, but will also give you a chance to check for congestion or incidents and adjust your travel plans accordingly.”
More information on advised travel routes to Wembley ahead of the final this Saturday 25 May at 3pm can be found on the National Highways website here.
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Live traffic updates on the day of the final can be found here.
Manchester United blocked from potential first signing of the summer due to INEOS ownership
Danny Jones
Manchester United looked to have been blocked by UEFA from making what would have been the first signing of the summer due to their co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS Group ties to his current club.
The Red Devils had lined up Ligue 1 defender Jean-Clair Todibo to fill the boots of the recently departed Raphaël Varane as one of their targets of the summer transfer window, but it looks as though INEOS‘ existing ventures have thrown a spanner in the works.
As reported by ever-reliable transfer source Fabrizio Romano on Wednesday, UEFA has apparently blocked the move for the player due to Ratcliffe and INEOS also owning OGC Nice, as the governing body is continuing to crack down on rules around multi-club ownership.
The transfer talk has now been ultimately backed up by The Telegraph‘s James Ducker, who confirmed that the association have now blocked the move for Todibo not simply down to Ratcliffe and co.’s controlling stake in the but because United and Nice have also qualified for the same competition.
#MUFC have been blocked by Uefa from signing Jean-Clair Todibo from Nice this summer. Targeted as replacement for Varane but clampdown on multi-club ownership means Nice & Utd can’t trade. Ratcliffe challenged it but Uefa not budging https://t.co/RiJXRMZ29h
While the two clubs have both been cleared to play in the UEFA Europa League next season despite INEOS’ vested interests in both teams – due to all parties agreeing that their share of transfer fees will be put into a ‘blind trust‘ – they are not permitted to complete deals with each other.
This essentially comes down to UEFA’s principle that no organisation or individual can exert a “decisive influence” over the running of more than one club in the same competition, something which they believe Ratcliffe could be deemed to have.
Interestingly, many have noted that Man City were able to secure a player from Girona back in February – one of their sister teams under the CFG umbrella – despite them having both qualified for the Champions League next season, though it seems his loanee status from Troyes AC led to the loophole.
Although the Manchester side is said to have eyed up Todibo as the perfect replacement for his outgoing compatriot at CB, they are by no means the only side interested in securing 24-year-old Todibo’s services this summer.
INEOS has also been informed they are free to sell him to another Premier League club, a stipulation that is said to have frustrated Ratcliffe. He also warned the division against becoming too stringent on spending rules.
The new United co-owner fears that being blocked by UEFA and the Premier League could become a regular obstacle for English teams.
As the piece goes on to detail, the Failsworth-born billionaire responded by saying: “They’ve said we can sell him to another Premiership club but we can’t sell to Manchester United, but that’s not fair on the player and I don’t see what that achieves.”
That isn’t all of United’s defensive targets exhausted though, as they are also thought to have agreed on personal terms with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, though the Merseysiders have so far rejected their initial £35 million bid.
Speaking to Bloomberg‘s business column, the 71-year-old said: “We want to be where Real Madrid are today, but it’ll take time… It’ll take two or three summer windows to get to a better place.”
At least when it comes to finding a new centre-half, though, he and Erik ten Hag will have to find another alternative beyond the highly sought-after Jean-Clair Todibo.
England praised for ‘almost perfect’ win over West Indies as T20 World Cup title defence kicks into gear
Danny Jones
England may have made a somewhat shaky start to their T20 World Cup title defence in the group stages but look to have sparked into life following their first Super 8 game, with a convincing win over co-host nation West Indies.
In fact, they were so impressive in the opening game of the divisive phase that their performance was labelled as near perfection by ex-England bowler Steven Finn.
Speaking on BBC’s Test Match Special coverage, Finn said simply, “England turned up – the England that everyone has enjoyed watching over the last few years”, claiming that, “barring a couple of overs with the ball, this was almost a perfect performance”.
The former fast bowler went on to insist that this could be a good opportunity for them “to set a marker down” for the rest of the tournament. The star of the show was undeniably Phil Salt – exhibit A:
Salt, who was rightly awarded Player of the Match after opening the batting with 87 from 47 balls not out, produced a commanding display to give England a strong advantage from the off, including a staggering run of 30 runs in just one over.
Only more quality followed him as Johnny Bairstow stepped up to go unbeaten for 48 from 26 and seal the win over the heavy favourites by 180-4 with 15 balls to spare.
Heaping further praise on the national team set-up, including former Windies captain Kieron Pollard whose work as the new England batting coach is clearly working, Finn added: “They batted with power and bowled with skill.
“They knew that when they got the bat in hand, once they got the momentum, they could take advantage of it.”
England now find themselves in a very strong position to qualify for the semi-finals, with South Africa and the other joint-host USA left to play in this stage.
The South Africans only managed a narrow victory over America on the same day, meaning that England seemingly boast the best form in their Super 8 group as they look to take control of the top two.
Can the reigning T20 World Cup Champions do it two years in a row?
With the Vitality T20 Blast also underway, The Hundred set to kick off next month and the live music lineup for the likes of the Manchester games already out, it’s going to be a summer full of cricket.
You can find out everything you need to know about Manchester Originals fixtures and the rest of this year’s tournament down below.
Emily Sergeant -
22nd May 2024 
