Sport

Man City and Man United fans urged to take separate travel routes to FA Cup final

Here we go again...

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 22nd May 2024

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.

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.

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.

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.”

Read more:

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.

Live traffic updates on the day of the final can be found here.

Featured Image – Malc McDonald (via Geograph)

Sport

Manchester City staff member sacked after wearing Man United shirt to shift

Danny Jones Danny Jones Man City staff member sacked after wearing Man United shirt on the bar on derby day

Man City have divided a fair few supporters after they sacked a barman for wearing a United shirt to their shift during the Manchester derby.

Although it’s not exactly surprising, the decision has ruffled plenty of feathers on both sides, as well as among neutral fans.

The Blues emerged victorious in the 197th clash between the two local rivals, winning 3-0 on an evening that paid tribute to the late, great Ricky Hatton, but another backstory looming over the fixture that caught the attention of football fans online was the City staff member who lost his job.

Working on concessions inside the Etihad Stadium before the game, the barman was made known to the official MCFC Matchday Support channel on X, who quickly confirmed he had been let go before the game even began.

In the since-deleted post, the home fan who reported the worker wrote: “Absolute joke – letting one of the bar staff in block 315 wear a United shirt on Derby Day.”

Although many City fans applauded the fast action by the club on the day, it’s fair to say that sacking him so soon that he didn’t even last until kick-off has rubbed many others the wrong way.

One Liverpool fan commented: “I hate United way more than City, but to sack him from a job because of an item of clothing is crazy. So, so poor from Manchester City, this. It’s just football lads, he’s not wearing a political or derogatory symbol. It’s literally a football team…”

Another neutral added: “Getting a minimum wage worker sacked for having a bit of fun instead of just winding him up is the absolute sad state this country is in.”

Even the ‘Out Of Context Football Manager‘ parody account chipped in, writing: “The guy’s been sacked for this. All he needed was a formal warning. I get he’s taking the p*ss – but losing a salary he might really need over this?!

While many have been even more outspoken in their response, as you can see, many supporters – be they Red or otherwise – have come up with arguably the perfect solution:

Manchester City are yet to comment on the backlash, apart from the initial confirmation that the still-anonymous staff member has been released from his position, but as for Man United, simply sticking him on the kiosks in the Stretford End could prove to be a very easy bit of positive PR.

Besides the growing frustration around the fanbase, as Ruben Amorim has yet to turn things around at Old Trafford (pressure was growing even before the derby day defeat), the Red Devils could no doubt do with some positive press for a change.

In fact, it was only earlier this year that co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, CEO Omar Berrada and the wider INEOS Sports administration sanctioned a second round of redundancies at United, with approximately 450 individuals losing their jobs.

That being said, although some have labelled the sacking of the now ex-City barman as “absolutely horrendous behaviour” for Man City, many jumped to quip back that “[United are] more likely to sack more bar staff, not hire them”, as well as simultaneously taking aim at their significant transfer spending.

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Featured Images — Mataniels via X (now deleted)/The Manc Group

Sport

Salford Red Devils supporters group outline plans for the next major protest march

Danny Jones Danny Jones

Salford Red Devils supporters trust, The 1873, have outlined details of their next major march in protest over the club’s well-publicised ownership troubles and financial crisis.

The fan group, which has mobilised on multiple occasions already this year, is set to hit the streets once again this month and in larger numbers than ever, confirming another big demonstration before their next home game this weekend.

Sharing the update with fellow Red Devils on social media, 1837 leaders are demanding “truth and accountability from the top” ahead of the peaceful protest through Salford.

They have dubbed the event ‘The Last Rally’, but we can only assume there’ll be more fan action as the weeks and possibly months of uncertainty continue.

As you can see, The 1837 are calling for like-minded supporters to rally outside another nearby amateur rugby league football team, Salford City Roosters, before marching on to a second meeting point and, ultimately, the Salford Community Stadium.

Starting in Eccles, with a stop at Barley Farm, before arriving at their club’s home ground in Barton-upon-Irwell, the plan is to gather as much awareness, support and local attention as possible.

Writing in the caption of the above post, they added: “We’ve dominated headlines. We’ve exposed bad ownership. We’ve stood together.

“A history worth fighting for. A future worth protecting. Our last chance to be heard. Don’t stay silent. Make it count.”

Following a recent meeting of the RFL and the two Greater Manchester Mayors, Andy Burnham and Paul Dennett, Salford Red Devils were given somewhat of an even further stay of execution, as it was confirmed that their ‘winding up’/administration deadline has now been adjourned until October.

Nevertheless, the majority of fans are still being kept in the dark about the exact and up-to-date nature of their rugby league club’s situation at present.

Back in June, it looked like new investors could very well still be injecting vital funds to keep key players and staff on the books, but jump to now, and it looks like they don’t know if even things like the big screen even belong to them much longer.

Once again, the march and peaceful protest will take place this Friday, 19 September, prior to the next fixture against Wakefield Trinity.

Getting points on the board will no doubt be a big plus for all, but the game looks like it will very much serve as the backdrop to the wider ongoing saga.

Are you a Red Devils fan, and if so, will you be attending the demonstration? Better still, even if not, what do you make of the circumstances surrounding your side at the moment?

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Ben Whitehurst (supplied via X)

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