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
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 -
15th February 2024 
