Manchester City have today unveiled fresh plans to redevelop their stadium and the wider Etihad Campus, including an increase in matchday capacity and more well-rounded fan facilities.
Revealing the rough plans and respective concept art on Tuesday, 28 February, City have stated that their aims are to create “a best-in-class fan experience and year-round entertainment and leisure destination at the Etihad Stadium“.
The news comes after the club announced that they were carrying out “feasibility studies” back in December, teasing that they were looking to explore future stadium development and new concepts for the wider Etihad Campus, as well as the surrounding area of Manchester.
Now, fans and the local community are being invited to share their input and feedback on the proposal from today until Sunday, 26 March when the period of consultation ends.
Manchester City is delighted to unveil concepts for an entertainment destination at the Etihad Stadium and begin a fan and community consultation 🏟️
In addition to expanding the stadium capacity with a redesigned North Stand — which would see the ground rivalling the likes of Arsenal and Spurs with more than 60,000 seats — City’s owners are looking to further develop the Eithad as a “relevant and competitive sport, leisure and entertainment destination.”
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As well as adding to several connected all-weather facilities that will be fully integrated into the stadium and wider sporting complex, a larger covered City Square fan zone with a capacity of 3,000, a wide variety of food and drink outlets, new club shop, museum and hotel are also part of the ambitious plans.
Moreover, a “modest workspace” has even been proposed for SMEs (start-up and medium-sized organisations) looking to collaborate with the club and the City Football Group (CFG) at large.
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CFG has made it clear that they are committed to not only increasing numbers but offering “a broader range of dynamic matchday and non-matchday activities” all year-round — i.e. making the Etihad more than just a football stadium.
As part of the statement, the club went on to state that more than £700 million has already been invested into the local area of East Manchester and this latest raft of designs will see thousands more jobs created than they already have.
Fans and the local community are also being invited to a temporary exhibition at City Square from Saturday, 4 March, as well as attend one of three consultation events in the coming weeks:
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Beswick Library, 60 Grey Mare Lane, M11 3DS — Thursday 9 March 2023, 15:00 to 18:30
The Foyer at the National Cycling Centre, Stuart Street, M11 4DQ — Monday 13 March 2023, 15:00 to 19:00
Church of the Apostles, Ridgway Street, Miles Platting, M40 7FY — Wednesday 15 March 2023, 15:30 to 18:30
Featured Image — Manchester City/Wikimedia Commons
Sport
Premier League Darts is returning to Manchester’s AO Arena in 2027
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Premier League Darts is confirmed to be returning to Manchester next year.
Now’s your chance to see the youngest world champion in darts history, AKA Warrington’s very-own Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, show us how it’s done, as next year’s BetMGM Premier League Darts lineup has just been announced this week – with various dates confirmed across 17 different cities in the UK and Europe.
And Manchester is one of those cities, as the AO Arena has shared that they are set to host an evening next April, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.
This means that we will be lucky enough to witness the biggest names in world darts all under one roof, including headliners Gian van Veen and Luke Humphries, as well as Littler.
Manchester is the only northern city to get the pleasure of hosting the event next year, as Liverpool is also on the lineup, as is Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle, while elsewhere in the UK, the stars will travel to Glasgow, Birmingham, London, and several other major locations.
BetMGM Premier League Darts is to be held on Thursday 8 April at the AO Arena in Manchester, and to avoid being disappointed, fans are advised to register for presale ticket access.
Following a successful season of events in 2026, tickets are expected to be like gold-dust, so don’t say you haven’t been warned.
To access the first wave of tickets, fans must become an active PDCTV Annual Member before 23:59pm on Friday 9 October. Alternatively, general sale is on Thursday 22 October 2026, but make sure not to hang about.
Featured Image – Sandro Halank (via Wikimedia Commons)
Sport
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands
Emily Sergeant
Andy Burnham has claimed he wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on fans getting to drink alcohol in football stands.
It’s a ban that’s been in place in the top five tiers of men’s football since 1985, when fears over violence and hooliganism were at their height, but now the Prime Minister has raised the question of whether drinking in football stands – or ‘drinking in sight / view of the pitch’, as it’s known formally – is actually unjust, due to the fact that same rules don’t apply to fans of other sports.
“I don’t think it’s fair for football fans to be singled out in that way,” Andy Burnham has declared this week, grabbing headlines in the process.
He continued: “I think that legislation dates to an era where football was very different, and I do believe there is a case to remove that discrimination.
“I’m not going to back away from what’s been a long-held view of mine. I don’t see how it can be fair that some supporters of one sport can be treated differently.”
The Prime Minister’s comments have been met with mixed response.
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands / Credit: James Kirkup | Julia Nastogadka (via Unsplash)
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), for example, has very much welcomed the idea, saying that it ‘totally agrees’ the legislation is ‘outdated’ and ‘deserves to be reviewed’.
Tom Greatrex, chair of the FSA, said in a statement: “The FSA has always argued that it’s unfair to criminalise football fans for having a pint while watching the match – especially since you can sit in the same seat drinking alcohol whilst watching an Oasis gig or rugby league.”
However, on the flip side, the UK Football Policing Unit said it would be ‘incredibly rash’ to change the rules without proper consultation.
“Other sports simply don’t see the violence and criminal behaviour from their supporters that football does, albeit a minority, with alcohol often playing a significant part in violent and disorderly behaviour,” it said in a statement on the matter.
The Prime Minister did state in his initial proposition though that ‘there are different ways it could be done’, hinting that it could be done ‘on a trial basis’ perhaps.
The English Football League (EFL) added that it would be ‘receptive to discussions around reviewing current legislation and permitting alcoholic drinks within view of the pitch’.
No formal details on a review have been confirmed as of yet, so fans are encouraged to stay tuned for updates in due course.
Danny Jones -
28th February 2023 
