Man City and their soon-to-open neighbours Co-op Live have revealed plans to transform the existing CityLink walking route and bridge over to the Etihad Stadium.
The football club and brand-new music and entertainment venue have submitted a joint planning application to Manchester City Council to regenerate the existing route between the Holt Town tram stop and the Etihad Campus with plans to have initial works completed before Co-op Live opens in April.
Built in 2002 for the Commonwealth Games, the network hasn’t seen a significant update since but will soon provide fans not only with better alternative travel in line with City‘s environmental sustainability goals but also key upgrades to enhance the pre and post-match experience.
If/once approved, supporters can expect everything from interactive lighting installations, busking spots for performances by local musical talent, as well as pop-up food and drink stalls.
Manchester City and Co-op Live unveil plans to transform walking route between Holt Town tram stop and the Etihad Campus
It is also said the new and improved walking route will see stewards from Co-op Live and the club staff the route before and after their respective events, along with better overall CCTV coverage.
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Furthermore, in line with Co-op Live’s and Man City’s existing commitments to the wider regeneration of the local neighbourhood, an extensive clean-up of the walkway has already started with the trimming of overgrown trees and shrubs already completed, alongside improvements to directional signage.
Better still, the revitalised CityLink will also enjoy new creative visuals and artwork commissioned by Co-op Live and designed by local talent ahead of the venue’s opening, with further football and music design themes to be phased in over time.
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The improvements to the walking route will be delivered in conjunction with the council, Transport for Greater Manchester and the arena’s naming rights partner, Co-op. This will also factor into the wider development of the surrounding Etihad Campus and it looks to become a ‘leading tourist destination’.
Commenting on the plans to develop the walking route, Managing Director of Man City Operations, Danny Wilson, said: “Ensuring that our fans and visitors have more options for sustainable travel to and from the Etihad Campus is incredibly important as we continue to introduce new entertainment experiences to our site, and welcome more people to a growing year-round destination.
“At the same time, in line with our ongoing and long-term commitments to the development and regeneration of our local area, we know that the upgraded ‘CityLink’ will benefit members of our local community who will now have a cleaner, brighter and safer walking route to use day in and day out.”
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Gary Roden, Executive Director and General Manager at Co-op Live, added: “We are transforming the fan experience of live entertainment one step at a time.
“By investing in the regeneration of the walking route, we are providing a safe, and eco-friendly alternative to car travel and giving the local community a revitalised outdoor space that they can use all year round.” It isn’t the only recent announcement the club has made regarding improved fan travel.
Featured Images — Manchester City/Arne Müseler (via Wikimedia Commons)
Sport
Salford City FC have been bought out by a new consortium
Danny Jones
Another era beckons for Salford City as a buyout of the Greater Manchester football club by a new consortiumhas been announced.
Well, sort of.
Salford City FC were famously the subject of a joint takeover by Singaporean businessman Peter Lim and members of Manchester United’s Class of ’92 over a decade ago, and now 11 years on from that last milestone moment in their history, the local side has a new administration once again.
It is a fresh chapter for the club, but supporters will be glad to hear that there will also be some continuity and key throughline of consistency among some of those at the top.
Salford City announces that the Club has been acquired by a new ownership group led by David Beckham and Gary Neville, and includes US-based businessman Declan Kelly and Lord Mervyn Davies who will both serve as new Co-Chairs of the Club’s board.
Led by Man United legends Gary Neville and David Beckham, who have been involved with Salford since 2014, the new nine-member consortium consists of the Dream Sports Group – a leading sports technology company based in India – along with a number of other key figures.
One of those is Lord Mervyn Davies, a former Labour MP and Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Small Business, who still serves as a trade envoy between the UK and Sri Lanka.
Another is Irish-American entrepreneur Declan Kelly, who is Chairman and CEO of The Consello Group, a global advisory and investing firm.
While the previous co-owners and fellow Class of ’92 United graduates are no longer shareholders at Moor Lane, it is said they will still play important roles at the club.
As the official statement reads, “The acquisition includes a commitment by the new shareholders to invest significantly in the Club, the team and its facilities”, meaning there will funds will likely be sweet aside not only for some healthy transfer business but more updates to the Peninsula Stadium.
Commenting on the announcement, Neville said: “I’m passionate about Salford City. This is a unique partnership with a diverse range of minds and expertise, held together by a love of football.
“Football will come first, however, it’s critical that we drive the Club towards sustainability in the next 4-5 years. I can’t wait for the next part of this journey.”
Meanwhile, Beckham went on to add in the excitable Instagram post seen above: “Salford played such an important role in my life growing up… It’s where I trained with United alongside my best mates every day, it’s where I bought my first house and where me and Victoria lived.
“I’m so proud to be part of a new ownership group alongside my mate [Neville] as we begin the next chapter of Salford’s journey. Football is at the heart of this community and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Ammies.
Chester Zoo’s sellout 10k charity run returns this summer with three new routes
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo has announced that its popular Run For Nature is back again this summer, and this year, there’s three new routes to run.
The UK’s biggest charity zoo saw success with similar sold-out events in 2023 and 2024, and is now looking for 2,500 runners to sign up for one of the North West’s most unique athletic experiences when it returns later this year – with all funds raised from the popular event going towards efforts to protect highly-endangered giraffes in Africa.
Participants will this year take on a brand-new route winding through more of the zoo than ever before, and enjoying glimpses of elephants, lemurs, and other incredible species along the way, before heading out into the picturesque Cheshire countryside.
Chester Zoo is inviting runners of all abilities to take part this year, as there’s a new 5km run added to the usual 10km route, and even a one-mile ‘Zoom’ fun run for kids aged four-15.
With only 2,500 places up for grabs, organisers say the event is expected to sell out quickly, just like it has the past two years, as runners race to support a very special cause.
All proceeds from this year’s Run For Nature in September will go directly towards protecting Nubian giraffes in East Africa – a species which has seen drastic population declines in the wild due to habitat loss, poaching and conflict with humans.
Chester Zoo’s sellout 10k charity run is returning this summer with three new routes / Credit: Chester Zoo
Runners will receive a wooden medal at the finish line and free entry to the zoo for the remainder of the day, so they can relax and celebrate their achievement among 30,000 amazing animals.
If that didn’t all sound brilliant enough as it is, top fundraisers from the day will also be in with a chance of winning some exciting prizes too, including annual zoo memberships, animal adoptions, and even special behind-the-scenes zoo experiences.
“We’re thrilled to be bringing back Run For Nature for a third incredible year,” explained Sarah Jones, who is the Fundraising Lead at Chester Zoo.
“We’ve now doubled the distance runners spend inside the zoo, so they’ll pass by even more iconic animals, [making it] a really special experience you won’t get anywhere else.”
Run For Nature is back at Chester Zoo this Sunday 21 September, and you can find out more and sign up to take part here.
Danny Jones -
15th February 2024 
