Anyone who’s been lucky enough to spend a match day in the city centre could probably tell you this, but now it’s official.
Manchester has been named the best place in the UK to watch Euro 2020.
After a year of postponement due to the pandemic, European football’s flagship tournament finally kicked off last month with 24 countries going head to head in a battle to take home the coveted trophy – and now, nearly four weeks later, just three teams remain.
Italy booked their spot in Sunday’s final after beating Spain in a close call that went all the way to penalties last night, and this evening, England look to do the same.
All eyes will be on Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad at 8pm as they take on Denmark in the second semi-final at Wembley.
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But until that result’s decided, Manchester has claimed a victory of its own.
Thanks to timely research led by mobile reseller Buymobiles, 28 of the UK’s major cities have been ranked based on a number of different factors, including the average cost of a pint, venue ratings, and a ‘footy-mad’ score determined by Google Trends – and Manchester has unsurprisingly clinched the top spot.
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Top 10 Places to Watch Euro 2020 in the UK
Manchester
Liverpool
Edinburgh
Newcastle
Glasgow
Leeds
Belfast
Southampton
Aberdeen
Sheffield
28 of the UK’s major cities have been ranked based on a number of different factors / Credit: Buymobiles
Overall, the North West proved to the best region to watch this summer’s championships, with Liverpool taking the second spot just behind Manchester.
Scotland also proved extremely successful based on the metrics measured, boasting two cities in the top five and three in the top ten, and with Newcastle, Leeds, Belfast, Southampton and Sheffield all making up the rest of the top ten, there seems to be quite an even split geographically throughout the UK, which means you’re never too far away from a great Euro 2020 experience.
But if there’s anywhere you’d want to be, it’s in Manchester.
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Manchester is a city that’s obsessed with football and it’s a sport that’s so ingrained in our culture, so it’s not hard to see why we’ve taken this title.
As you’d expect, there’s plenty of venues that have been going all out for the Euros this year.
There’s plenty of venues that have been going all out for the Euros this year / Credit: Oast House | Euro 2020
The semi-finals and grand finale of Euro 2020 may be being held at English football’s home ground of Wembley Stadium in London, but if you’re not able to make the trip down south, there’s certainly no shortage of pubs and bars in Manchester city centre that are putting on a good show.
Whether England make it to their first final of a major tournament since 1966, or they bow out at the final hurdle, you won’t want to miss Euro 2020 drawing to a close.
Looking for somewhere to cheer on the Three Lions last minute?
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We’ve picked out 20 of the best spots to watch Euro 2020 in Manchester city centre here.
Featured Image – 4theFans
UK News
Tailgaters and middle lane hoggers warned to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style
Emily Sergeant
A warning has been issued to tailgaters and motorway middle lane hoggers urging them to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style.
Do you find yourself guilty of two of the biggest driving sins from time to time?
Well, according to the latest figures released by National Highways, one in three motorists have admitted to middle lane hogging in their lives, while one in four have committed acts of tailgating on some of the UK’s fastest roads.
These shocking survey findings – which were released back in early March as the Government-owned road management company launched a new campaign – showed that lane hogging was among the behaviours that are most likely to cause motorists and passengers to feel ‘frustrated’, and tailgating was most likely to cause feelings of unease, stress, and anxiety.
Nearly a third (32%) of drivers admitted to lane hogging ‘at least occasionally’ while driving on England’s motorways and major A roads, according to the survey – which polled 2,500 adults between the ages of 16-75.
On top of this, almost seven in ten adults in England (67%) said close following or tailgating is a ‘serious problem’ on these types of roads, but nearly a quarter (23%) admitted to doing it from time to time.
Tut-tut.
Tailgaters and middle lane hoggers have been warned to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style (Credit: IPTC/Ronald Hudson)
It’s these very statistics which have led National Highways to issue an urgent warning that calls on these motorists to “carefully consider” their driving habits, as “little changes can change everything”.
Lane hogging and tailgating both fall under the offence of ‘careless driving’ in England, with the country’s police forces having the power to hand out on-the-spot fines of £100 and three penalty points to those who commit such offences.
“Middle lane hogging and tailgating are far more than mere annoyances for drivers,” warned RAC road safety spokesperson, Rod Dennis, adding that these actions “put everyone on the roads at risk.”
If you’re too close to the vehicle in front, you’re tailgating. This is very dangerous and could lead to a collision. Always leave at least a two-second gap and make sure you follow the advice from The Highway Code.
He continued in his reaction to the release of the latest National Highways figures: “Closely following another motorist could easily result in a serious collision should the driver ahead need to brake sharply for any reason, so the fact nearly one in four drivers admitted to doing so on some of England’s fastest and busiest roads is frightening”.
Mr Dennis said he understands that offenders “might find these habits hard to kick”, but that’s why the urgent calls for motorists to make changes are “so important”.
“By understanding that how we choose to drive affects others, we can each make a real difference to the safety of our roads,” he concluded.
Paddy McGuinness admits he thinks Bolton is ‘still in Lancashire’ not Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Paddy McGuinness has admitted that he believes “Bolton still falls under Lancashire” and not Greater Manchester.
The famous comedian and TV presenter – who was born and raised in Farnworth in 1973, back when it genuinely was still categorised as Lancashire – made the somewhat controversial declaration to his millions of followers on Instagram this week as he shared some pictures of himself that are currently featuring as part of a photography exhibition.
McGuinness is one of dozens of local famous faces forming part of the ‘Greater Mancunians’ project by The Manchester College.
150 students have participated in the landmark photography project – which is currently on display down at Manchester Central Library’s Main Exhibition Hall – and it features images of some of Manchester’s most famous and influential people shot at numerous locations across the city.
Noel Gallagher, Johnny Marr, Ricky Hatton, Andy Burnham, Angela Rayner, Maxine Peake, Jonathan Warburton, and Professor Erinma Bell MBE are among the 100 contributors featured in the project, alongside McGuinness.
The 50-year-old, who is most well-known for his acting and presenting roles in Phoenix Nights, Max and Paddy’s Road To Nowhere, Take Me Out, and Top Gear, says it was “a real honour” to be featured in the exhibition.
McGuinness wrote on Instagram: “It was a real honour to take part in the Greater Mancunians project with the students at The Manchester College. The exhibition is full of people from music, comedy, politics, poetry, television, medicine and beyond.”
He then said it’s “well worth popping in if you’re in town”, before dropping the final Bolton-related bombshell: “PS, I’m still saying Bolton falls under Lancashire.”
In case you’re unfamiliar with the borough’s history, Bolton was considered to be a part of Lancashire until Greater Manchester was formally established all the way back on 1 April 1974 – but still to this day, the town is located within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire.
Paddy McGuinness admits he thinks Bolton is ‘still in Lancashire’, not Greater Manchester (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
After making the bold claim about Bolton’s geographical location, McGuinness has been met with praise and has received hundreds of comments from other Bolton and wider Greater Manchester residents agreeing with him and sharing their similar opinions under the post.
“I think they should redefine Lancashire back to its old borders, it would bring unity to the area and create a northern powerhouse,” one person commented.
Another fan wrote: “Bolton will always be in Lancashire for me”, while a third commented: “ALWAYS Lancashire. Can’t move land boundaries, they’re not pieces of paper,” a fourth shared a similar sentiment: “They can tell us we’re Greater Manchester, but I know Im a Lancashire lass,” and a fifth added: “Lancashire all the way lad.”
“BOLTON WILL ALWAYS BE LANCASHIRE,” another clearly strong-viewed comment reads.
Emily Sergeant -
7th July 2021 
