CORONAVIRUS HITS SPORTING ACTION

Fears Euro 2020 could be suspended

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Burnham: Make Fast fashion is a Big The Annies of Manny

misogyny hate crime Deal
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Coronavirus pandemic hits

Manchester
ON THE FRONT PAGE
By Claudia McInerney
The World Health Organisation has
declared Covid-19 a global pan-
demic, as the number of cases in
Greater Manchester reached 24
today.
Director-General of the WHO Dr
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said:
“In the past two weeks, the number of
cases of Covid-19 outside China has
increased 13-fold, and the number of
affected countries has tripled.
“Pandemic is not a word to use light-
ly or carelessly.”
However, Dr Tedros said that
labelling the outbreak as a pandemic
does not change the previous advice
issued to countries by the WHO.
There are currently 590 people in
the UK who have contracted the virus,
one of whom is Health Minister
Nadine Dorries, who met with hun-
dreds of MPs and attended a
reception hosted by Boris Johnson at
No. 10 before showing any symp-
toms.
The Prime Minister held a COBRA
meeting earlier this afternoon and it
has been announced that the UK has
been pushed into the “delay” phase of
the strategy to combat coronavirus.
Despite the rapid increase in the
FALSE ALARM: Panic was
caused at the University after a
hazmat-suited person was seen
entering Oak House halls.
the UK in the past week, the gov-
ernment has advised people not
to panic.
A spokesperson for Public
Health England said: “Most
people can continue to go to
work, school and other public
places. You only need to stay
away from public places (self-iso-
late) if advised to by the NHS 111
online coronavirus service or a
PHE told Mancunion Matters
that there are currently no planned
closures of schools or GP surger-
ies in Greater Manchester.
The number of people infected
with coronavirus in Greater Man-
chester has more than doubled in
the past week.
Coronavirus cases have been
confirmed in Bolton, Bury,
Oldham, Wythenshawe, Trafford,
Tameside, the city of Manchester
and, most recently, Rochdale.
Director of public health at
Rochdale Borough Council,
Andrea Fallon, said: “We have
received confirmation of the first
Covid-19 case in the borough of
Rochdale.
“The case is a resident who
became infected after coming into
contact with another positive case
outside our borough.
“I’d like to reassure people that
Public Health England have con-
firmed today that the risk to the
general public remains low and
Rochdale Borough Council is
working with health colleagues to
do everything we can to stop the
virus spreading and ensure the
people of our borough are protect-
ed.”

Budget promises £30bn to fight Covid Trafford Centre

number of coronavirus cases across medical professional.” Read more on page 2... DELAY: PM Boris Johnson announced new measures on aiming to tackle the speread of Coronavirus

By Nadine Batchelor-Hunt owners lose £2bn

CHANCELLOR RISHI
SUNAK has announced the
government Spring Budget
today, announcing over £600b
of spending and pledging to
give the NHS “what it needs”
as COVID-19 spreads across
the UK.
to “do whatever it takes to get
our nation through it”.
However, while coronavirus
took up a significant propor-
tion of the speech, it was clear
that the government were not
going to allow the crisis to limit
spending elsewhere.
Sunak said this budget
delivers £100b higher in cash
terms than the UK has today,
the country braces itself to
meet the challenge of coron-
avirus - with Sunak describing
it as “the key challenge facing
our country today”.
Addressing the forecasts,
he warned the house to
expect: up to a fifth of the pop-
ulation unable to work at one
time; work and businesses
unable to access goods,
coronavirus, and “likely eco-
nomic disruption”, does not
become permanent.
The Chancellor subse-
quently spoke of a “Three
Point Plan” that outlines the
government’s response to the
crisis.
By Ethan Davies
THE owners of the Trafford
Centre shopping centre, Intu,
has said there are doubts
that it can survive unless it
raises extra funds.
shopping centre sites by
nearly £2bn.
The property company
saw its revenues fall by
£38.8mn during last year
as it was hit by a number
of retail firms going out of

The Conservatives
described their plan as the
“most comprehensive
approach than anywhere in
the world, and any other gov-
ernment to date” - promising
declaring that “we are at the
beginning of a new era in this
country”.
The Chancellor pledged to
“put aside party politics” and
“act in the national interest” as
Read more on
shrinking the UK’s productive Intu has today revealed business.
capacity; and a reduction in that it made a £2bn loss in Chief Executive Matthew
spending by the public.
the budget on
2019, which they have at- Roberts said: “In the short
Sunak insisted that he term, fixing the balance
tributed to the fact they
wanted to ensure the tempo-
pages 4 and 5...
wrote down the value of its sheet is our top priority.”
rary negative impacts of
 PM announces
2 NEWS
MARCH 2020
‘delay’ phase in UK
By Claudia McInerney
from page one...
Dr Neil Robinson, Travel and tourism
expert from the University of Salford
Business School, said: “We have been
here before with Ebola and Sars and it is
important to remain positive, in the UK
we have lots of resources to fight
against this outbreak.
“The worst-case scenario is that
CORONA CRAZY: A man at San Francisco takes his own measures to protect himself flights are cancelled, borders closed,
against Covid-19. Photo: Flickr and there is impact on the free move-
Regional worries: As Coronavirus cases continue to rise,
ment of workers but the UK is strong, we
which parts of Greater Manchester have been affected?
24 cases have been con-
firmed in the region as of
today, as the WHO declared
the outbreak a pandemic.
have fought against bigger adver-
saries.”
Some panic was caused when a
video of a person wearing a hazmat suit
entering University of Manchester stu-
dent halls was posted on social media,
but this turned out to be a false alarm.
A spokesperson said: “Paramedics
attended the scene following a 111 call.
Having examined the resident they are
content that the person in question is
not at risk of coronavirus. Ambulance
staff have now left the site.”
Despite the increase in cases, the
outbreak does not yet seem to be seri-
www.mancunianmatters.co.uk
ously disrupting the daily lives of local
people.
When asked if they would stop using
public transport in Manchester, resident
Melis Royer, said: “No. I always carry
hand sanitiser and wash my hands fre-
quently, don’t sit on my bed in my ‘street
clothes’ and don’t put my bag on the
floor or bed, virus or no virus.”
Current advice from Manchester Uni-
versity NHS Foundation Trust is as
follows: “If you are feeling unwell and
have any concerns about your symp-
toms, please contact the NHS 111
service.”
 NEWS 3
mARCH 2020
www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

PICTURE SPECIAL:
CORONAVIRUS TAKES ITS
TOLL ON EUROPE

U S T V Sh o w s G o
B e h in d C lo se d D o o r s
The banning of live audiences
at tapings has swept US chat
shows amidst growing COVID-
19 fears.
John Oliver, Ellen DeGeneres,
Dr Phil and others will now only
film their programmes in an
empty sound stage to prevent
further spreading of the virus.
No British television shows
have yet announced a similar
move.
4 NEWS
MARCH 2020
Chancellor declares a Budget for “new era”
Here’s everything you need to know
By Nadine Batchelor-Hunt
COVID-19 THREE-POINT PLAN:
ONE: Whether it is “millions or billions”, the Chancellor said simply:
“whatever it costs, we stand behind our NHS” - from research to recruit-
ing thousands of staff.
TWO: Statutory sick pay will now be paid from day one, not fay four - and
will be available for all those who are advised to self-isolate.
And instead of going to the doctors, the public will be able to obtain doc-
tors notes by the non-emergency health number 111.
The government plan to make “it quicker and easier” to access ben-
efits for those on contribution based ESA - who will also be able to
claim from day one, not day eight.
The requirement to attend Job Centres for benefits will be removed,
and the minimum income flaw will be removed from Universal Credit.
The Chancellor explained that these measures will provide a boot of
almost half a billion pounds for the UK’s welfare system.
A £500m hardship fund for local authorities will be available to direct-
ly support vulnerable people in the local area.
In total, Sunak said this amounts to a total £1bn commitment to “sup-
port the security of our people”.
THREE: Sunak insisted that “the best way to protect people is to protect
their jobs”, and addressed his earlier comments of the expectation that
20% of the UK’s workforce may be unable to work at one time.
He addressed that this scenario would hit small and medium sized
businesses “hard”.
As a result, the government intend to cover two weeks of coron-
avirus statutory sick pay for any business with fewer than 250
employees for fourteen days which provides £2bn for businesses.
He announced that there would be a helpline with 2000 staff “ready to
help”.
Banks will also offer loans of up to £2m for businesses, as the Chan-
cellor said he intended to “protect businesses through the worst of the
crisis”.
The government have pledged to “abolishing businesses rates all
together”, but also highlighted that not all businesses would benefit
from these in sectors like the hospitality sector.
Therefore, Sunak said he had decided to extend the 100% retail dis-
count to these industries as well, which means they will “pay no taxes
whatsoever” which amounts to “a £1bil tax cut”.
Sunak also pledged a small business relief of a £3,000 small business
relief grant per businesses, describing it as “a £2bn cash injection”
directly into small businesses.
He said there would also be a review of long-term business rates in
Autumn.
£1m investment to support them through this time
Planned increases on the duty on spirits, beers, cider, and wine have
been dropped – and fuel duty will also remain frozen.
£130m was pledged to extend startup loans, and with up to 10,000
more for entrepreneurs by 2021-2022.
What does the budget mean for Manchester?
By Nadine Batchelor-Hunt
THE government have announced their “ambitious plans to power up the
North West”, pledging spending in areas from transport to housing.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “This Budget delivers on our promises to the
British people, and lays the foundation for a decade of growth across all parts
of the UK.
“We will level up the North West with better transport connections and a
cash-boost to unlock thousands of homes across Manchester and South Lan-
caster.”
The Treasury say they will provide “International Trade advisers” which will
focus on building the “Northern Powerhouse” - which was pledged by the
2010-2015 coalition government in the last decade.
The primary areas the government seem to be focusing on for the North
West are the NHS, transport, and housing and infrastructure.
Transport measures include: £40 million for Preston City Region to deliv-
TAXES: Corporation Tax will remain at 19% and will not be cut, and the gov-
ernment also intend to clamp down on tax evasion, suggesting that this
would bring in an extra £4.4bn of additional revenue.
He announced cuts to national insurance, increasing the threshold from
£8632 to £9,500 - saving the average employee £104.
He is also increasing the Employment Allowance by a third to £4,000 - a
tax cut this April for nearly half a million small businesses.
The “Tampon Tax”, also known as VAT on women’s sanitary products will
be removed.
The Chancellor outlined the importance of Scottish whisky to the UK,
describing it as “our largest food and drink export”.
He insisted the government would continue to lobby the US against its
harmful tariffs on the beverage, and pledged a £1m investment to support
them through this time - he also announced a £10m investment to help
whisky industries “go green”.
Planned increases on the duty on spirits, beers, cider, and wine have been
dropped and fuel duty will also remain frozen.
£130m was pledged to extend startup loans, and with up to 10,000 more
for entrepreneurs by 2021-2022.
CLIMATE: Sunak described addressing climate change as the
fourth part of his budget, and pledged to help “level up” areas
across the UK when it comes to pollution.
From April 2022, gas - not electric - will be taxed at a higher
rate as it is a cleaner form of energy.
The government intend to introduce a “Plastic Packaging
Tax”, which will charge £200 per tongue of plastic on plastic
which is less than 30% recycled; the Chancellor said this is the
equivalent of 200,000 tons in carbon savings.
When it comes to red diesel, Sunak said he would be abolish-
ing the £2.4bn tax break, but that it would not take place for at
least two years so businesses are able to prepare.
He acknowledged concerns on this measure from the Na-
tional Farmer’s Union, and said that agriculture will retain the re-
lief - as will rail, domestic heating, and fishing.
To help with cleaner alternatives to red diesel, RND invest-
ment will be doubled to £1bn.
www.mancunianmatters.co.uk
INFRASTRUCTURE: Sunak once again spoke about levelling up and
to “get Britain building”, discussing how he is tripling investment over
the last 40 years.
He insisted we must change the mindset of the government to make
sure economic decision making reflects the economic geography of the
country.
In the aftermath of the floods, the government are to invest £5.2bn over
the next six years to protect over 300,000 properties.
He explained that there will be Treasury offices opening in Scotland,
Wales, and Northern Ireland with 750 “moving north”- some 22,000 civil
servances moving outside of London.
An extra £640m, £360m, and £210m will be made available for Scot-
land, Wales, and Northern Ireland respectively - and a new position for a
West Yorkshire mayor has been announced - all of which will receive fund-
ing settles of £2.4bn for local transport to match Transport For London.
£5bn will be spent to get gigabit-cable broadband, with 95% 4G cov-
erage with a £510m investment.
As well as HS2, and the commitment to the Manchester-Leeds leg of
the railway, the Chancellor announced the “biggest ever investment” in
roads and motorways which will connect ports, airpots, junctions, and
4,000 miles of road - and a £2.5bn pothole fund was also announced, with
500m per year to fill every pothole in the UK - with a pledge to also finish
the A303.
“Whatever it costs, we will stand
behind our NHS.”
NHS: The government have announced £6bn of new funding in this
Parliament to support the NHS - facilitating 50,000 more nurses, 50m
new GP appointments, and would commence the construction of 40
planned new hospital- and the cost formigrants to us the NHS has
increased to £624.
EDUCATION: Sunak addressed his predecessors ambition to level
up FE, pledging a three year settlement worth over £7bn by 2022, with
£25,000 each for schools to invest in arts - and an extra £1.5bn of new
capital to improve our FE college estate.
The Treasury have also announced that they are abolishing the
reading tax - which includes books, newspapers, and magazines, and
the government will increase investment in Research and Development
to a “record” £22bn a year.
er a new station at Cottam Parkway on the Preston-Blackpool line; £66
million extra funding for for local road maintenance in 2020-21 and pothole
repairs; Accessibility improvements at Walkden Railway Station as part
of a wider £50 million investment in station accessibility; A five-year
transport settlement for Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region
Combined Authorities starting in 2022-23 which could fund a range of local
public transport, cycling, and road upgrades; £700 million for strategic road
schemes over the next five years, including starting to dual the A66
across the Penninies and improving the M60 Sinister Island; and A
promise to develop plans to relive congestion around South East Man-
chester.
The Conservatives had also pledged a “national bus strategy” and a
long-term funding settlement for buses in the 2020 Spending Review.
However, the new budget does not seem to address these issues -
which leaves questions about the future of the transport infrastructure in
Manchester between now and the Autumn Statement.

www.mancunianmatters.co.uk
Must try harder: Manchester
Mayor gives budget“6 out of 10”
by Nadine Batchelor-Hunt
GIVING the budget a “six out of ten”, Andy Burnham expressed con-
cerns that the budget was “a little high on rhetoric and a little bit low on
delivery”.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced record levels of spending on
Wednesday, stating he was to spend over £600bn on a variety of areas -
from coronavirus response, to transport and infrastructure.
But what this means for Manchester - and more broadly the Midlands
and the north - is a hot-topic.
The Conservatives spent large amounts of time in the run up to the
December General Election focused on claiming traditionally Labour
seats in the North and Midlands - which led to a string of promises on
investment in the areas.
In the wake of his statement yesterday, the Chancellor pledged that his
budget will “level up the North West, with better transport connections and
a cash-boost to unlock thousands of homes across Manchester”.
Burnham, Manchester mayor, has been critical of Sunak’s announce-
ments, describing the budget as a “modest” start.
Focusing mainly on transport, Burnham reiterated his support of HS2 but
expressed concern elsewhere.
“[They] promised the tram to Stockport, to Bolton, promising us a full tram
train. That’s a lot of promises, and I don’t think what we got today fully deliv-
ers the funding to create all those things”.
He added “I don’t think [the budget] gets you to the London style trans-
port system that I’ve called for, and indeed the Chancellor wanted today”.
Burnham also described the budget being “delivered in the shadow of coro-
navirus”, stating he believed that “it would have been a different budget for
the North had we not been in this situation”.
Despite this, he said “there was no reason why the government could-
n’t have followed through on some of the commitment that it’s been
making to us [such as] funding to reform buses.
“[This would mean] money we could use to bring down fares and make
public transport more affordable”.
Burnham outlined concerns about what coronavirus would mean eco-
nomically for Manchester, and he said he knew “businesses are getting by
increasingly without cash flow and surviving.
“Already in tourism, night economy space, and hospitality space it has
already been quite badly hit”.
With respect to the government providing contribution-based Employ-
ment and Support Allowance from day one not day four, and Universal
Credit available from day one not day eight, Burnham said, “I worry that it
won’t be enough, because some people are living day to day -I think that
is a real risk.”
“I heard a story recently that a taxi driver who had been in contact with
a person that tested positive, he said ‘I just can’t stop working - the minute
I stop working is when I’m in trouble”.
The mayor shared that this is not the first time he’d dealt with a virus out-
break, referring to the Swine Flu in 2009.
“The difference between and swine flu and now is that there are so many
more people working in that insecure, self-employed space.”
He went on to say, “A lot of those jobs are people that come into a lot of
contact with the public if you think about a taxi driver, or someone that
makes food deliveries.”
When it comes to “unclogging” Manchester’s “arteries” - a term the gov-
ernment used to describe pollution issues - he described the Castlefield
corridor as a prime example of the issue.
“That’s an artery that is clogged. “And yet we’ve been campaigning for
platforms 15 and 16.”
“We made a big submission to this budget - it’s infrastructure that
would have benefitted the whole of North of England”.
He added, “I like the rhetoric, but where is the actual delivery here?…
[they] really need to stop dragging [their] feet on these investments”.
Despite this, the mayor said he did not want to be “overly negative” - but
insisted the Chancellor “need to show a lot more ambition in the Autumn
if we’re going to get much more meaning behind the ‘levelling up’ phase”.
On affordable housing, the government announced £12bn for the UK,
which Burnham welcomed - hoping it would go towards the Northern
Gateway Project.
“There’s money for brownfield clean up, so it will help me reduce the
greenbelt take.
“We have a plan to build 30,000 homes in greater Manchester for
social rent - I really want those to be zero-carbon homes, we want to get
on quickly with this”.
However, he critiqued the government’s announcement in this area
again: “It’s a very headline announcement - I hope they will very quickly
break it down and tell us what we’re going to get because Manchester’s
ready to go”.
On the homelessness epidemic in Manchester, Burhnam was frank -
NEWS 5
MARCH 2020
describing the government’s announcements as “frustrating” because it
was unclear “what it means for us”.
He explained that Manchester was already running it’s “Bed Every
Night Scheme”, stating he liked the “sound” of Sunak’s pledges on home-
lessness but wished “they’d have been a bit more direct” on what it means
specifically for Manchester.
He conceded that it was “good to hear the Chancellor talk about rough
sleeping, describing it as “a step-forward”.
Lisa Nandy, Labour leadership candidate, also had a lot to say about
what the budget means for the Midlands and the North on BBC’s News-
night on Wednesday.
“I love what I’ve heard, £600bn in infrastructure investment.
RESPONSE: Lisa Nandy on Newsnight on Wednesday
“The problem is that - as the budget statement went on and the docu-
ments were produced - what materialised was nothing of the sort”.
She said the budget announcements included funding that had already
been announced, which meant that the government's new budget was less
than £100bn.
Nandy highlighted that the Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a lot of
promises to ‘red-wall’ communities ahead of the election, many of which
they now represent.
She accused the government of “piling money into areas that are
already doing well and getting further ahead”, namely areas in London and
the south, and “neglecting other areas of the country”.
“Those red wall communities that the Tories won in December, prom-
ising to invest, but today they’ve done absolutely nothing of the sort - in fact,
they’ve taken us backwards”.
With respect to business, Nandy said she wanted to abolish Local
Enterprise Partnerships and make sure that money is given to councils.
She went on to say “we need to not just level up in terms of moving
Treasury jobs to the North, but we are actually investing in people and skills,
education, and child poverty - so people can get those opportunities”.
She described the budget as a “real betrayal of those red-wall com-
munities that voted Tory in December”.
 Three killed in
6 NEWS
MARCH 2020 www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

Iraq base strike

By Rona McCann
A British soldier and two
American citizens have died
after a rocket attack struck an
Iraq military base.
Eighteen small rockets
rained down on Iraq’s Camp
Taji at 7:35pm local time
Wednesday.
The camp, located north of
Baghdad, had been hosting
British and American troops.
The British soldier remains
unidentified but the Ministry of
Defence has confirmed that
they served as a member of
the Royal Army Medical
Corps.
Their family has been
informed. The Americans
killed were a soldier and a
contractor, US military
sources have stated.
A further twelve people
have been left injured from the
rockets’ impact.
Defence Secretary Ben Wal-
lace has dubbed the attack a
By Lance Cpl. Brian L. Wickliffe, U.S. Marine Corps “cowardly and retrograde act”,
ducted it will face justice.
Prime Minister Boris John-
son has announced a promise
to collaborate with “interna-
tional partners to fully
understand the details of this
abhorrent attack”.
A joint investigation into the
rocket attack has begun.
The Iraqi government has
The people that
did this are not
friends of Iraq
- Defence Secretary,
Ben Wallace
announced that the rockets
were launched from a truck.
Responsibility for the launch
has not been claimed, and the
US and the UK have yet to
attribute blame.
The British soldier’s death is
the first stemming from enemy
fire since the UK initiated its
operation against Islamic
The attack occurred in the
wake of US forces’ assassina-
tion of senior Iranian army
general Qasem Soleimani.
Soleimani was killed in a
drone strike over Baghdad Air-
port on 3 January, increasing
tension between the US and
Iran.
Iraq was brought into US-
Iran relations when Baghdad
residents protested outside
the US embassy after Presi-
dent Trump said that Iran
would “pay a very big price”
for their previous rocket attack
killing of a US contractor in
December.
The US had retaliated to
December’s rocket strike by
launching airstrikes in West-
ern Iraq, killing 25 Kataib
Hezbollah militia fighters.
Wednesday’s attack comes
as a surprise to spectators, fol-
lowing a general assumption
that the US and Iran shared a
desire to draw a line under

Piccadilly
promising that those who con- State in 2014. matters.

Gardens
Overhaul
Promised
for Citizens
By Emma Morgan
MANCHESTER City Council
has pledged £1.8million to the
first stages of a Piccadilly Gar-
dens development, involving
the partial demolition of the
unpopular “Berlin Wall”.
This Brutalist “pavilion” is
hated by many residents, who
have called repeatedly for it to
be pulled down.
The Council hope to transform
the area into a “welcoming
space,” and will be giving the
public a chance to comment on
the proposed improvements
later in the spring, a
spokesperson said.
Almost £2m will be made avail-
able for the demolition of the
unpopular monument.
Sir Richard Leese, leader of
the city council, said they were
“determined to do something
about it” and revitalise a key
area of the city centre.
Greater Manchester mayor faces
calls to add misogyny to election
manifesto
By Ethan Davies
ANDY BURNHAM should
pledge to make misogyny a
hate crime, according to
campaigning group Misogy-
ny Is Hate (MIH).
In an interview with Man-
cunian Matters, MIH said the
Greater Manchester mayor
should follow the lead of his
London counterpart, Sadiq
Khan, who last week publicly
stated he will include the
measure in his May election
manifesto.
Misogyny is currently not
treated as a hate crime,
whereas incidents of racism
or homophobia are.
The news comes as Man-
cunian authorities release
results of a consultation with
locals, from which MIH claim
their policy demands have
received “overwhelming sup-
port” in a survey of over 800
respondents.
Based on the results of the
report, Greater Manchester
Deputy Mayor for Policing
and Crime Beverley Hughes,
and Greater Manchester
Police (GMP) Chief Consta-
ble Ian Hopkins are due to
meet to discuss the “feasibil-
ity” of recording misogyny
as a hate crime.
However, MIH founder
Sylvie Pope and leader Jess
Bostock have said that this
response is not nearly strong
enough.
Pope and Bostock have
called on Beverley Hughes to
publicly support classifying
misogyny as a hate crime at a
Greater Manchester Citizens’
mayoral assembly in April.
That event will see several
‘asks’ being put to mayoral
candidates, with misogyny
hate crime being on the
agenda along with clean air
policy, mental health care,
and child poverty, among
others.
MIH was founded in July
2018 to convince GMP to
begin recording misogynis-
tic incidents as hate crimes,
something Nottinghamshire
Police began doing in 2016.
It took the midlands force
three months to train front-
line officers and call handlers
on how to recognise misogy-
ny as a hate crime, leading
Pope and Bostock to believe
the same thing could happen
in Manchester in six months.
The difference in
timescales is due to the
number of staff GMP employ
and the area in which they
police.
That would form a key part
of the group’s target of get-
ting their policy implemented
by early 2021.
MIH say the process from
spring 2020 to early 2021
would include a deeper con-
sultation on exactly what the
definitions of what misogyny
hate crime would be, in order
to “ensure women’s voices
are heard from across differ-
ent communities”.
Pope added: “By making
misogyny a hate crime, we’re
taking away this burden that
has been placed on women
for centuries to prove our
humanity to people who
make misogyny jokes or
comments or harassment or
more serious crimes.”
The Labour Party were
contacted for comment, but
had not responded by the
time of publication.
 NEWS & POLITICS
MARCH 2020

Manchester making environmental progress

www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

Manchester Town Hall, Albert Square.
Former news chief
Eamonn becomes
Manchester’s High Sheriff
By Emma Morgan
EAMONN O’Neal, former Managing Editor of the
Manchester Evening News, has today been named
as the next High Sheriff of Greater Manchester.
O’Neal’s appointment was formally announced by
Buckingham Palace this morning, but he will not be
installed until April 17th, at an official ceremony at
The Monastery, Manchester.
O’Neal, who is currently the Chief Executive of
St. Ann’s Hospice, described his new role as, “a
huge honour and quite humbling.”
By Billy Brooks
MANCHESTER City Council yester-
day pledged to halve carbon
emissions by 2025, as part of their
carbon-neutral target of 2038.
The Council declared a climate
emergency in June 2019, but have
since attracted criticism from envi-
ronmental advocacy groups
Extinction Rebellion and Green-
peace for being unambitious, and
lethargic.
This policy also aims to bring
Manchester Airport emissions down,
in line with the Paris Agreement in
accordance with UK policy.
As the policy was signed off, Sir
Richard Leese, leader of the Council,
said “we need to do much, much
better” to respond to the climate
emergency.
In aid of these efforts, Stagecoach
Manchester were proud to unveil a
fleet of electric double-decker
buses.
The 32 zero-emissions buses will
operate on the very popular 111 and
43 routes.
A double-decker bus already
serves the equivalent of 70 cars, so
being able to use eco-friendly buses
will save the city environment thou-
sands of tonnes of carbon emissions
each year.
Elizabeth Tasker, managing direc-
tor of Stagecoach Manchester
praised this impressive step.
"This new fleet of electric buses is
the latest example of what can be
achieved by working together.
“We will continue to build on the
major progress we've already made
with more customer improvements
such as next stop announcements,
on board Wi-Fi, contactless ticket-
ing and live journey information.”
Making moves towards electric
buses and eco-friendly modes of
public transport will result in signifi-
cant climate benefits, but locally,
having cleaner air in the city centre
will aid public health and well-being.
Additional infrastructure develop-
ments are projected to benefit the
Manchester City taxpayers up to
£25m per year.
Reducing traffic congestion and
air pollution in the city centre is key
to achieving net-zero carbon emis-
sions within 18 years.
A significant milestone in
the history of transport in
Greater Manchester
-Elizabeth Tasker, MD,
Manchester Stagecoah

M6 at a standstill due to
vehicle fires
By Max Blakeley
THE M6 southbound and the M62 near Hud-
dersfield were both subject to long delays
due to vehicle fires.
Emergency services and traffic officers
converged on the M6 between junction 22 for
Newton Le Willows and junction 21 for Croft
Interchange in response to a lorry fire at
around 1pm.
Whilst plumes of smoke billowed from the
vehicle, emergency responders closed the
carriageway until 1:30pm, before reopening
one lane.
The cause of the fire is unclear yet clear.
A car is ablaze on the M62 westbound, be-
tween junction 23 for Huddersfield and junc-
tion 22 for Rishworth Moor, it is said to be
car.
Authorities closed two lanes on that stretch
of motorway in response, causing delays of
up to 90 minutes.
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue and High-
ways England Traffic Officers are currently
working to clear the closed lanes.
Authorities advise allowing extra time to
travel, and seeking alternative routes wher-
ever possible.

Stagecoach’s neweco-friendly, electric double decker will save the taxpayer millions.
8 OPINION
MARCH 2020
By Imogen Clyde-Smith
THE reality of the increasing strain NHS nurses are under was
revealed at a controversial national debate held in Manchester
earlier this month.
Organised by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) student
committee, the debate was attended by students, health care
professionals and members of the public, amid fears the NHS is ill-
prepared for the coronavirus outbreak.
The motion, “This House Believes That Patients Should Not
Always Come First,” won a landslide victory.
The vast majority of audience members and online participants,
watching via a live stream, voted in favour of nurses protecting their
wellbeing.
The first speaker to back the RCN motion was Occupational
Psychologist Dr Philip Bardzil, who said that NHS nurses were
exploited by a system that is “Driven top down” and takes a
“Tokenistic” approach to their wellbeing.
Bardzil, who has completed 15 years of psychological research
over his career, called for a drastic change to the workplace culture
and for the recognition that nurses have to “Put their own oxygen
masks on before helping others.”
Florence Bishop, an RCN student member in support of the
motion, expressed concern that nursing was critically behind other
industries in its approach towards employee mental health.
Citing data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), Bishop
revealed that more than 300 nurses in England and Wales took their
own lives between 2011 and 2017; previous research showed the
suicide rate to be 23% higher than the national average.
Bishop’s views were met with an outpouring of tweets from nurses
sharing similar concerns.
Many stated that staffing shortages had led to long hours, a lack
of breaks – even for a glass of water – and consequent symptoms of
fatigue, burn-out syndrome, and poor mental health.
It is with this backdrop that NHS nurse vacancies in England have
now risen to more than 43,000.
The RCN has reported that the current staffing crisis has led to
“Punitive sickness and absence policies,” which has steered toward
nurses feeling compelled to work through physical and mental ill health
which “Exacerbates presentism, attendance levels and ultimately the
retention of nurses.”
This begs the question: How do the Conservatives plan to
increase the number of nurses by 50,000?
Sir Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, has said that
up to 18,000 third year undergraduate nurses may be asked to help
“On the front line,” and have been offered registration six months early
to help deal with the Covid-19 outbreak. It’s unclear whether or not this
will be on a temporary basis. His comments have come after
www.mancunianmatters.co.uk
Shoul d pat ients
al ways c ome fi rst ?
N urses say “No”
announced plans to pull former nurses out of retirement to assist
efforts.
In the wake of Stevens’ comments nurses have raised safety
concerns and requested more details from official bodies.
RCN student activist Stuart McKenzie Tweeted: “I’m confident that
every other profession’s training programmes won’t have been
considered as sacrificially as nursing. It’s at times like these that we
should protect the future workforce, not throw them into the frontline.”
Andrea Sutcliffe, chief executive and registrar of the Nursing and
Midwifery Council (NMC), confirmed that the regulator was working
with the government on legislation.
An RCN spokesperson commented: “While we await more detail
on the government’s plans for student nurses, we are clear that
essential health and care needs of patients must always be
undertaken by appropriately paid and qualified staff."
Alongside staffing issues NHS hospitals have seen a rise in ‘bed-
blocking’ –a facility’s inability to discharge patients due to a lack of
social care. Recent data from NHS digital shows that critical care beds
run at between 70 and 80 percent capacity most months.
Speaking last night on BBC Newsnight, Professor John Ashton,
President Faculty of Public Health 2013-16, said: “If this now spreads
the way it looks as though it's likely to spread, there will not be enough
hospital beds and people will have to be nursed at home.”
An RCN poll has revealed that three quarters of A&E nurses have
had to provide care to patients in a non-designated area – so-called
‘corridor nursing’ – due to bed cuts.
Latest figures show the NHS has the second-fewest hospital beds,
per capita, in Europe according to statistics by the European Union.
Italian hospitals have seen a high number of intensive care patients
admitted for severe lung failure due to the virus, needing ventilators to
help them breath. The virus also affects -blood pressure, the heart,
kidneys and liver.
Yesterday, Rishi Sunak pledged the NHS will get "Whatever it
needs, whatever it costs," to cope with COVID-19, effectively
extending a blank cheque.
“We promised to back the NHS and this budget gets it done,” he
added.
The Editor of the Nursing Times, Steve Ford, has responded:
“Let’s hope that for once this is not rhetoric but a genuine pledge of
additional funding, rather than money recycled from other areas of the
service – and with no strings attached.”
The Chancellor’s ambitious 2020 budget is set to include at least
£5bn for the NHS. Could this mean an end to nurses being overlooked
and a start to them receiving the support they so desperately need?
Or as in the words of the Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn is it "Too
little, too late."
Only time will tell.
 OPINION 9
MARCH 2020

Fast fashion is big deal as we go green

www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

By Hana Kelly
FAST fashion is a big deal in
the media.
Many people are waging war
against it, and whilst this move
against mass production is bet-
ter for the environment, it isn’t
necessarily better for people’s
bank accounts.
However, charity shops are
a wonderful place to find
clothes and household goods.
They aren’t reliable to find ex-
actly what you’re looking for.
Vintage shops are the other
big boomer as of late. The
clothing is often stylish and
there’s a lot of options. But
this is reflected in the price,
with pieces often being twice
the price of something from the
high street. You can often get
a twist of something fun from a
vintage shop, but the availabil-
ity of sizing often leaves some-
thing to be desired.
Body positive influencer,
Megan Crabbe, who uses the
handle Bodyposipanda, re-
Thrift Shop, Manchester
cently tried to find a cute vin-
day on Instagram and at the
end of a story filled with floral
patterns and vintage chic, she
had a real talk with her follow-
ers. Crabbe said that as a size
16 woman, for every 100
pieces of clothing she saw,
roughly five were in her size.
For the friend she was shop-
ping with, a size 18/20 woman,
it was 1/100.
The idea of shopping vintage
promotes ideas of sustainabil-
ity and environmentally friendly
shopping. But it just isn’t a re-
ality for many plus-sized peo-
ple, or those with lower
incomes.
Many people are for fast
fashion, finding it quick, easy
and convenient. Laura, a
dance teacher in Manchester,
said “I absolutely love fast
fashion, it’s so handy!” But also
suggested that the conversa-
tion was more complicated,
adding that in this day and age
where people want things fast
and cheap, the rise of fast
Meanwhile, Harvey, a florist
from Salford, said how he was-
n’t that bothered about ethical
clothing shopping. Instead, he
just bought what he liked; re-
gardless of where it came
from.
Of course, there are alterna-
tives: dress swaps, kilo sales
and the high street. Being ethi-
cal can be more on the pricey
side, but it is also arguably bet-
ter for our economy. Local
business owner Hamble Rose,
of Sorrel Designs, is of this
opinion.
She said: “Shopping local
leads to a stronger economy,
local businesses hire local
workers.
“As a small business owner I
make it my aim to sustainably
source near enough all of the
shops materials and produce
beautiful handcrafted items
that stand the test of time.
“However, there is a pres-
sure for local businesses to
compete with highstreet prices.
Ethical shopping has be-
come a double-edged sword.
Something suggested by
Moira, a ticketing manager
from Manchester. She said:
“I’m super eco-conscious but
fashion isn’t accessible.”
People want to be supportive
of local businesses, the envi-
ronment and charities but it
isn’t always accessible. Per-
haps a compromise is what’s
needed: buying a beautiful,
handcrafted cushion from Sor-
rel Designs, but matching it
with a £4 blanket from Primark.
Although we all hope to live
in a society where we can af-
ford the lifestyle that helps all
and saves the planet, it isn’t
necessarily an option for the
vast majority of the British pub-
lic. We need to think about
making trends that are sustain-
able, but also affordable, ac-
cessible, and inclusive. We’re
facing crisis after crisis and,
whilst this is a political matter,
it is also a matter of availability.

Donna Rotunno’s special brand of feminism

tage look for an awards show. fashion and unethical shopping Customers have come to ex-
She decided to document the is inevitable. pect everything for nothing.”

By Emma Morgan
DONNA Rotunno is an interesting feminist paradox. She was the
lawyer who defended the infamous Harvey Weinstein – sentenced
on Wednesday to 23 years in prison - against multiple allegations of
rape and sexual misconduct.
She also describes herself as the “ultimate feminist.
Our knee-jerk reaction may be to scoff at this claim, as we con-
flate her professional dealings with her personal beliefs. However,
in reality, it’s not Rotunno’s association with Weinstein, nor her his-
tory of representing men accused of similar crimes, that makes her
pretensions to feminism seem so odd. Rather, it is the strangely
convincing logic she uses to veil a thoroughly un-feminist stance
with what appears to be…well, feminism.
In a recent interview conducted by Megan Twohey for The New
York Times’ “The Daily” podcast, Rotunno did her utmost to prove
the credibility of her point of view. She argues that, rather than
expecting predatory men to change their behaviour, feminism
should be about rising above and so putting an end to it.
Rotunno states emphatically that if every woman stopped enter-
taining the offers of free drinks, the suggestive invitations, the
unsolicited touching and all the other well-known precursors to a
sexual advance, then men would be unable to act inappropriately
towards them.
Superficially, this argument kind of makes sense. If we as women
refuse any complicity with the familiar patterns that can precede
instances of sexual assault, those men might eventually realise that
they can’t get away with it. She concludes her argument with the
words, “If women take the power and women say, “none of us are
going to [do this]” then that culture must change” as if urging us to
see that we are bigger and stronger than the role of victim which is
so often assigned to us.
Rotunno also states that, as a feminist, she is opposed to the
effects of the #MeToo movement, which feeds into “a society of
celebrity victimhood status,” perpetuating the stereotype of feminine
weakness. She adds that the emotive nature of #MeToo “strips your
right to due process,” suggesting that the accused are condemned
in public consciousness long before they ever go to trial. Again, she
probably has a point: to allow the outrage surrounding #MeToo to
boil over into a type of man-hating witch-hunt would be irresponsi-
ble, and the movement should do its utmost to enable objective
judgements to emerge, even from all the anger and hurt that fuels it.
But then, as Rotunno ploughs through this ever-lengthening list of
feminist dos and don’ts, you might start to wonder: “where do men
feature in all of this?”. It was men’s actions that sparked #MeToo in
the first place, and yet she seems to have forgotten all about them.
This creeping sense of one-sided-ness suddenly surges into plain
view towards the end of the interview, when Twohey asks, “have
you ever been sexually assaulted?”. Rotunno concedes that she
hasn’t, but then adds, “because I would never put myself in that
position […] I never drank too much, I never went home with some-
one, I just never put myself in any vulnerable circumstance.”
It is at this moment that, through our open-mouthed disbelief, we
watch any semblance of her feminist credibility crumble. Sure, if
women behave in a certain way towards men, they would unfortu-
nately be naïve not to ready themselves for some sort of come-on.
But to suggest that having too much to drink, or that flirting a little
somehow sanctions harassment or assault is, frankly, nauseating.
By saying this, Rotunno reveals her allegiance to the same cul-
ture of blame which has seen women vilified for the clothes they
wear, berated for their supposed lack of vigilance, called ‘frigid’ if
they refuse sex and ‘slut’ if they don’t, abused for having an opinion,
labelled as witches for living a life independent of men, held Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years behind bars for a number
accountable for stillbirths and miscarriages, and indeed condemned of sex offences
for having plucked that apple off that tree right back at the very
dawn of time. blame. In her attempts at justification, she cites equality of “respon-
And in this blinkered way of seeing things, men have sailed and sibility” or “risk”, arguing that in this type of situation women should
do sail through, unchecked. In her book of essays, Men Explain remember that they too have agency.
Things to Me, Rebecca Solnit examines this persistently biased dis- But here, she forgets that one very important thing: the only
tribution of responsibility. She cites an instance at an American person toblame for rape is the rapist. No one else.
university when, to prevent campus rapes, female students were The Cambridge Dictionary describes feminism as: “the be-
discouraged from going out after dark. When a hoax poster then lief that women should be allowed the same rights, power,
appeared forbidding male students from visiting the campus at and opportunities as men and be treated in the same way.”
night, there was uproar. And it’s at this idea of “being treated in the same way” that
They were, quite rightly, unused to being censured for someone Rotunno’s version of feminism shows itself to be outdated,
else’s crimes. Solnit writes, “men were shocked at being asked to dangerous and highly misogynistic.
disappear, […] all because of the violence of one man.” But what No matter what they wear or how they speak, no matter
they fail to realise here, is that this is precisely the millstone that has how much they drink or who they mix with, women should
hung around women’s necks for centuries. be able to live without fear of sexual violence, just as most
By implying that our choices somehow make it inevitable or men do.
acceptable for a man to invade our personhood and try to control It’s as simple as that.
our bodies, Rotunno simply contributes to this age-old burdening of
 BLOOD, SWEAT
10 FEATURES
MARCH 2020 www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

AND CHEERS
POPULAR: Cheer on
Netflix

By Gianna King
COMPETITIVE cheerleading has become
hugely popular in England in recent years,
especially with university students.
But this is far from the pom-pom flailing,
chanting on the side-lines display that
most have seen in films.
Every February, Manchester is flooded
with bows as thousands of student cheer-
leaders migrate here to participate in the
National University competition, held by
Future Cheer at Manchester Central. The
students perform routines, each hoping to
impress the judges with perfectly coordi-
nated jumps, stunts, tumbles and dance.
Most UK university teams perform
between levels 1-4, with the World cham-
pionship team competing at level 6. That
being said, even level 1 cheerleading
requires a level of skill and agility, with
each manoeuvre being stringently scruti-
nised for deductions and rule adherence. It
is safe to say that anyone who watches a
competitive cheer routine can appreciate
the physical standards needed to com-
acrobatics, gymnastics, dance and,
arguably, weightlifting. Despite this, cheer-
leading remains to be viewed by most as
unworthy of being a “real sport”. Most uni-
versities class cheerleading as a social
club, including The University of Manches-
ter (UoM);meaning cheer teams are not
granted any funding or help with facilities
and coaching like football would.
The blood, sweat and tears
that go into competing, rather
than just girls in short skirts
chanting on the side-lines of
other sports.
- Bec Oakes
They aren’t alone. Even Sport England
do not currently recognise cheer as an offi-
cial sport. Their dismissal of the sport can
be attributed to films such as Bring It On,
which colour cheer as chanting U.G.L.Y.
This shift in recognition over recent years
could be pinned on Team England’s gold in
the World Championships back in 2017, or
due to the release of Netflix’s “Cheer”
docuseries. These caused a twist in percep-
tion for many who took to twitter to declare their
admiration for these athletes.
The series follows the Navarro University
cheer team on their journey preparing for Uni-
versity nationals at Daytona Beach, Florida.
“Cheer” showcases the brutality and physi-
cal prowess needed to succeed in this sport.
The show has left viewers in awe of these
athletes, as they bend, flip, toss and catch
each other in mid-air, all while smiling and
looking pristine. It follows the team through the
turmoil and rigorous training that it takes to
reach an elite level, showcasing not only the
physical but mental toll this intense sport has
on its athletes.
This paired with the International Olympic
Committee’s (IOC) announcement in 2016
that cheer had been granted provisional
recognition as an Olympic sport has taken
strides towards being fully recognised. How-
ever, this may take up to seven years to come

THE PHOTOGRAPHER
pete. while throwing in the odd cartwheel. to fruition.
Competitive cheerleading embodies a Despite this, the physically demanding While the UK University cheerleading
dynamic mix of disciplines, pulled from reality of the sport is becoming realised. scene is miles behind its sub-Atlantic cousin,

where teams such as Navarro compete around level 5-6. Lower

BRIDGING ‘THE
level competitions still demand a high level of skill that most
people couldn’t reach without rigorous training.
One athlete who hopes this movement will shift the global per-
spective on the sport is UoM cheerleader, Bec Oakes. Bec has
been cheering for four years and has praised Netflix’s “Cheer” for
showing “the blood, sweat and tears that go into competing,

PROSTATE GAP’ WITH

rather than just girls in short skirts chanting on the side-lines of
other sports.”
She explained that as UoM doesn't classify cheer as a sport,
the club receives no funding and therefore relies on constant
fundraising efforts to try and subsidise the cost placed on ath-
letes.

HIS NEW EXHIBITION

Cheer is a surprisingly expensive sport to take up, with
custom uniforms alone costing around £120. On top of this,
there are costs for mix tapes, insurance, coaching, as well as
competition entry and travel. None of this is funded by the SU.
If anything, this further displays each athlete’s dedication, not to
mention the hours of training and huge risks that come with
taking part in such a dangerous sport.
Bec also added that “International governing bodies are also
in a position to really affect matters.” Recently, the Internation-
al Cheer Union, as well as IOC have been issuing restraints on
the pageantry of the sport to focus on the athletes’ abilities.
Much like gymnastics, cheer is a performance based sport,
with a whole judging category for creativity and synchronicity. The
athletes take on this risk while looking pristine in uniforms,
By Armani Syed
bows, show makeup and rehearsed “cheer faces” that make their WHEN making retirement plans, you would be forgiven for This can be due to cultural differences where sexuality visual stories pair faces with personal experiences, human-
performances look effortless. It can be said that the hair, not factoring in time to complete an undergraduate degree. and intimate health is a conversational taboo, and a lack of ising them. Smith champions the medium of photography for
makeup and smiles are arguably one of the aspects that trivialise However, that’s precisely what Ian Smith, the photogra- knowledge amongst health professionals about how best to relaying such emotion, he feels that “in terms of feeling
the sport and earned its misrepresentation. However these pher behind ‘The Prostate Gap’ exhibition, set out to do advise gay or transgender patients on their treatment. and emotion, a photograph says a lot more than what a three
aspects only add to the difficulty of the sport, as athletes are put after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. With gay men, medical professionals often fail to under-
minute video could […] a photograph freezes something at
through their paces and taken to their physical limits, all the In 2018 Smith, now aged 72, graduated with a first class stand “the ramifications on sexual gratification from taking
Photography degree from The University of Bolton. His the guy’s prostate out” and they don’t explain how this may that moment in time”.
while straining through smiles and looking as immaculate as pos-
sible. final project “Prostate Cancer: Every Picture Tells a Story” affect their relationships. Another key aim of the exhibition is to encourage affect-
Over the years, cheer has accumulated a dedicated com- was inspired by his illness and has been on display in hos- Conversely, at a trans women’s meeting approximately ed individuals to have difficult conversations and whilst
munity, saturated with support and appreciation for one another. pitals across England ever since, which has led to two years ago in Manchester, Smith encountered 10 prostate cancer comes with its own unique stigma, men’s
This hugely team based sport demands ultimate trust and increased uptake of medical pamphlets on the subject. women who thought “because I’ve transitioned and I’ve health is generally spoken about less. Additionally, the
accountability for one another, just one person missing could Alongside the positive feedback the photographs had hormone treatment, I can’t get prostate cancer.” This majority of staff working at specialist healthcare charities,
break a routine. The trust between teammates is second to received, Smith said that after a presentation he gave in Lan- absence of knowledge is what Smith has termed ‘The such as Macmillan are female. This creates an extra layer
none, risking life and limb to ensure the safety of each other. So caster, an individual approached him to say that he had ‘nice Prostate Gap’ and is often twofold between the medical of difficulty when encouraging male patients to discuss
this only begs the question, what more can these athletes do to photographs, nice narratives, a nice message’ but there was professionals giving diagnoses, and the patients them-
their prostate health. In fact, a large proportion of men are
gain recognition from their Student Unions? one thing that could be improved on: “the lack of diversity.” selves. This shared misinformation means that patients
Smith took this advice on board and formed the idea behind don’t always get medical advice that caters to their lifestyle. reported to only seek medical treatment as a result of
‘The Prostate Gap: A Photographic Exhibition Exploring Smith is dedicated to tackling societal stigmas and edu- prompts from female partners.
Under-represented People with Prostate Cancer.’ cating people about prostate cancer, that he says “all his Smith also feels that men are less likely to discuss health

NBA SEASON OFF

THE NBA declared a COVID-19 lockout for the re-
mainder of the season after a Utah Jazz
player tested positive for the virus before tipoff
against Oklahoma City Thunder. It remains unclear
whether or not the playoffs will go ahead in April, but
postponement seems the most likely outcome.
According to NHS figures, black men are two to three
times more likely to develop prostate cancer than their
white counterparts, and the death rate is twice as high.
Winston Carrington, one of the men photographed in
the exhibition, highlighted that despite being more suscep-
tible to this cancer “85% [of African-Caribbean men] are not
aware of this fact.”
Lorraine Grover, a Psychosexual Nurse Specialist at
The London Clinic and the Prostate Centre, London said that
“We can easily forget that within minority communities’
struggles can occur in addition to a cancer diagnosis.”
projects have been self-funded” and he has involved a lot of
research into these under-represented communities. He
said, “I knew nobody, I started with a blank piece of paper”.
Adding that finding subjects involved a lot of cold calling,
telling people “I’m Ian Smith, I’m doing this, can I come
and see you, I want to learn about this, I want to understand
more”.
The six-part photo series features two black men, two gay
men, and two trans women. It delves into either their per-
sonal experiences with prostate cancer, or how they are
mindful of the risk to their community. These powerful,
issues with their friends; “You wouldn’t get a guy stood up at
the bar saying I haven’t had an erection for three weeks. You
wouldn’t because of masculinity”. Smith wishes to break
down this culture of toxic masculinity with his portrait series.
He also hopes the exhibition will help to “Change public atti-
tudes towards underrepresented people in our society.”” His
subjects “Feel there is someone fighting their corner for
them.”
The Prostate Gap will be on display at Manchester Cen-
tral Library between April 1 - 30, 2020.

www.mancunianmatters.co.uk
It’s A Hard Knock
Life: The Annies of
Manny
Amy Bush takes a look at some of Greater Manchester’s most
incredible women in history
Greater Manchester has been home to some
incredible women, and because March is
Women’s History Month, it seems only right to
remind ourselves of a few of them.
Famously home of the Pankhursts and the suf-
fragette movement, Manchester is proud of its
historical female figures.
A statue of Emmeline Pankhurst – named Our
Emmeline – now stands defiantly on her chair in
St. Peter’s square, thanks to the WoManchester
campaign which fought against the lack of statues
representing women in the city.
Along with the Pankhursts there have been many
influential women in Greater Manchester with fas-
cinating histories.
Here, we’ll look at three, all called Annie, who
added their own chapters to Manchester’s story.
Annie Kenney
Annie Kenney was a pivotal figure in the Votes for
Women campaign. A working-class suffragette
in a mostly middle-class movement, Annie
believed in direct action and sacrificed a great
deal in her fight for equality.
Born in Springhead, Oldham, she was a mill-
worker from the age of 10. It is believed she met
Christabel Pankhurst at an Oldham Trades and
Labour Council meeting. The rest, as they say, is
‘herstory’.
Christabel and Annie were the first women to be
imprisoned in the name of women’s suffrage
after refusing to pay fines for disrupting a Liberal
party meeting in Manchester. Both were sent to
Strangeways Prison, which resulted in huge
press coverage and gave the movement the
boost it desperately needed.
In total Annie was imprisoned thirteen times,
often enduring forced-feeding; a degrading and
painful procedure.
Her passion and dedication to equality for
women was selfless and often hard on Annie.
She risked her health, her job, and her freedom
for something so easily taken for granted today:
the right to vote.
Often overshadowed by her contemporaries, the
Pankhursts, Annie Kenney has now been given
the recognition she deserves.
A statue was unveiled in Oldham in 2018 and a
blue plaque is displayed on Lees Brook Mill
where she once worked, before her life took such
a dramatic turn.
Annie Horniman
An honorary Mancunian, Annie Horniman trans-
formed the arts and cultural scene of Manchester
when she bought The Gaiety Theatre in 1908.
A member of the wealthy tea-merchant family,
the Hornimans, Annie never suited the tradition-
al role of an aristocratic lady. According to Helen
Antrobus and Andrew Simcock – who ran the
WoManchester Statue Campaign – Annie
dressed lavishly, smoked heavily, and rode
around Europe on a male-framed bicycle.
Annie discovered her love of the arts after trips to
the theatre as a child and decided to make this her
life’s work. After spending some time in Ireland,
she came to Manchester, a place full of liberal-
minded folk whom Annie believed would
embrace her progressive style of theatre.
She bought The Gaiety theatre with family money
and set about staging high-quality theatre pro-
ductions, and crucially made them accessible to
working-class people, who before now couldn’t
afford to attend such events.
She formed a repertory theatre, the first in Man-
chester; rotating runs of classics with
contemporary plays and works by local play-
wrights.
Often referred to as stubborn and interfering,
Annie Horniman was not universally liked in
show business.
However, this didn’t stop her doing what she
loved and making a name for herself. She was
awarded an honorary Master’s degree from the
University of Manchester in 1910.
Annie Lee
Our final Annie was Manchester’s first female
Alderman, and fierce campaigner for equal pay
and women’s rights.
A powerful figure in local government, Annie Lee
began her political life as secretary of the Open-
shaw Socialist Society, before being elected as
councillor for Gorton South in 1919.
According to Michael Herbert in his book For the
sake of the women who are to come after, Annie
FEATURES 11
MARCH 2020
was extremely vocal in meetings and was often
told to be quiet and sit down.
She was unrelenting in her work to help society’s
underdogs, and became known as a defender of
the poor.
She fought for women to retain their jobs after
marrying and for men and women to earn equal
wages for the same work.
Unfortunately, these ideas were too ahead of
their time and Lee did not see them implemented
in her lifetime.
However, she firmly planted these ideas in Man-
cunian politics and showed people that these
were things worth fighting for.
One of her most forward-thinking achievements
during her time in local government was her
appointment of a woman police surgeon to deal
with sexual assaults on women and children.
As Herbert explains, this was the first such
appointment in the whole country and had to be
vigorously defended by Annie when doubts were
raised over its necessity.
She was (and still is) a great role model and
proved woman could be successful in a man’s
world without having to sacrifice your principles
or alter your personality.
12 LIFESTYLE
MARCH 2020 www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

Eat guilt-free: Manchester’s

barynz at Flickr

What to do,
what to do,
vegan dining go-tos for you
what to do? By Rona McCann topped burgers, the fun, funky eatery is somewhere you just can’t afford
to miss out on your veganism endeavours.
By Rona McCann Mediterranean cuisine is on the takeaway menu at Go Falafel, Deans-
gate. Along with your build-your-own wrap, lunch box or salad, walk
WITH spring now fully in its first step, you may be wondering what to get away with an energising fruit juice. Orange, apple, and mango are of
up to now that you can get away with going out in just one jacket course a-go but mix up your dinner and try a ‘fusion juice’, made-to-order
instead of three. instore.
It’s time to let loose and check out these tip-top events coming up in The Allotment, on Lloyd Street, will see you ride a plant-based taste
Manchester that we have got for you. rollercoaster from starter to dessert. Vegetables lead the way, whether
Spanning the weekend of 14-15 March, the Manchester Sausage and in the form of panéed mushrooms, roasted squash, or bestseller cauli-
Cider Festival will take place at Victoria Warehouse. Teamed with the flower wings. Moving onto mains, choose between tacos, ramen,
namesake dynamic duo, the festival will host live bands and DJs, craft bolognese, and more, teamed with homemade vegan recreations of
beers galore, a gin bar and – not for the faint-hearted – a cut-throat eating classically not-so-vegan sauces. Flavours are aplenty for dessert;
contest. Tickets are on sale now for just £10. choose from a platter of raspberry and custard-topped tart, a cheesecake-
Global biking talent will come to Manchester in April, with the 2020 UCI of-the-day and a chocolately hazelnut slice.
BMX Supercross World Cup speeding into the National Cycling Centre.
Competitors will go head to head for a
place at the world’s biggest
sporting event, the
Olympic Games. The
World Cup is part of
a series of British Emma’s Ditto at YouTube
Cycling events
happening in Man- IF ever you needed proof that the vegan revolution is in full-force, you only
chester this spring, need to look to chicken giant KFC launching their own meat-free burger
and will include earlier this year.
qualifying rounds, Veganism is considered to be one of the biggest lifestyle choices
finals and knockout individuals can make to help reduce their climate change contribution, and
races. Manchester has not been left behind in the effort.
Dippy: Prehistoric times are Noticeably, in Mancunian restaurants vegans are no longer strug-
Dave ahead, with the Natural His- gling to find a satisfying meal, with plant-based servings taking up more
Souza at Wiki- tory Museum’s famous gentle giant and more of the menu.
media Commons Dippy starring in an exhibition at Number One But things are getting even easier. Over the past few years, a pletho-
Riverside in Rochdale until June. Dippy, now spending his existence as ra of vegan restaurants have emerged in the city. Here are Mancunian
diplodocus bones, is a hit with people of all ages – now that he lacks the Matters’ top picks.
muscles to eat them. The exhibit is completely free and is travelling While you may find the occasional supermarket own-brand frozen
across eight UK cities with the aim of inspiring the next generation of sci- apple pie that is ‘accidentally vegan’, no more do you have to root
entists. around the bottom of shelves to treat yourself to a plant-based dessert.
Was a New Year’s resolution to read more? Haven’t yet delved into Ice Shack in Withington is dubbed the first all-vegan dessert bar in the
the literature classics? Well, your chance to catch up has arrived, with the North.
erection of Spinningfields' Little Library. The new installation on Hardman Plating up sundaes and homemade brownies and freakshakes and
Square is a booklover’s paradise and a thrilling find for every passer-by. traybakes all at affordable prices, there is more than enough for every-
At the Little Library, you are free to pick up a copy of a bestseller, a new one’s tastes – as long as you’re not on a diet. All drinks can be concocted
release or a legendary novels and take it away with you – as long as you with your choice of dairy-free milk alternatives.
replace it with one of your own. Having only opened its first store next to HOME arts centre early last
You may pass them every day, but there is more than meets the eye year, vegan hangout Vertigo has already expanded. Now also delivering
when it comes to Manchester’s street art. In a walking tour through the goods on Cross Street, Vertigo serves delectable breakfasts, along
Ancoats, you can hear about public pieces with extensively-researched with demonstrating the power of plants in its curries, stews and smooth-
guidance. You will learn how art and architecture combines to form the ie bowls. Ula Zarosa at Wikimedia Commons
decorated living spaces we see today. Tours run fortnightly on Saturdays Northern Quarter favourite V Rev is the American diner of your
and Sundays, led by Skyliner Tours. dreams. Offering hotdogs on hotdogs on burgers on mac-and-cheese-

MARCH 2020
5 HOT SUMMER HOLIDAY
DESTINATIONS WHERE YOU
WON’T NE ED A
BIKINI-FACEMASK COMBO
You can still get on your getaway this summer
By Rona McCann
AS the frost ebbs away and the year’s first sneak
peeks of blue sky make themselves known, you may
find yourself already thinking about summer.
But the same big question lingers on everyone’s
vitamin D-deprived lips: where can I still book for a
sunny getaway now that COVID-19 has been
wreaked havoc across the globe?
Flying from Manchester, some great deals are still
to be had.
COLOMBO, SRI LANKA
Sri Lanka has no current active coronavirus cases,
but it’s a shame that it takes resisting a worldwide
epidemic for it to come to mind as a travel destination.
Colombo, Sri Lanka’s largest city, is bursting with his-
tory, culture and diversity. Along with its coastal
location, the city offers temples built with the archi-
tecture expertise of eclectic cultural origins, beautiful
public parks and numerous annual celebratory festi-
vals.
Return flights from Manchester Airport: from £450
in July.
LANZAROTE, CANARY ISLANDS
Whilst holidaymakers in neighbouring Tenerife
recently found themselves in a two-week lockdown,
the volcanic isle of Lanzarote has so far escaped any
virus concerns. Timanfaya National Park is home to
natural marvels. Take a bus trip to the top and watch
as some friendly locals cook dinner for you using the
heat from the volcanoes. If you’re scared of heights,
then closer to sea level you can explore black sand
beaches, cactus gardens, and vineyards. Don’t miss
out on exploring hundreds of underwater sculptures at
Atlantico Museum.
Return flights from Manchester Airport: from £170
in July.
LIFESTYLE 13
wwww.mancunianmatters.co.uk
Playa de las Malvas, Lanzarote. Paul Stephenson on Wikimedia Commons
HAVANA, CUBA
A bit of splurge it may be, still safe to hop to is
Cuba. The country has only recently opened its doors
to tourism – just two decades ago, interaction
between outside visitors and ordinary Cubans was ille-
gal. Now, however, Cuba sees millions of tourists
each year come to explore its exquisite architecture
and, famously, the vintage cars that line its streets.
Return flights from Manchester Airport: from £800
in July.
SAL, CAPE VERDE
Roll up, roll up to the ‘green cape’, because
COVID-19 certainly hasn’t done so yet. Whilst a
beautiful place to just relax, Cape Verde, located in the
Atlantic Ocean, is also a hidden hotspot for thrill-
seekers. Dive into a scuba excursion (or a half-day
shark experience if you’re feeling brave), ride gallop-
ing horses along vast beaches or zoom across the
desert in an off-road buggy.
Return flights from Manchester Airport: from £500 Check out vintage vehicles and colourful architecture in Havana. Pedro Szekely at Flickr
in July.
IBIZA, BALEARIC ISLANDS
COVID-19 guidelines urge people to avoid being in
densely populated areas. Needless to say, there are
fewer densely populated areas than inside Pacha
nightclub. Despite the close quarters, the party island
of Ibiza has yet to see a virus case upon its shores.
Whether it’s a booze cruise, the beaches or a delve
into history in the old town of Dalt Vila, no one will be
short of adventures to get up to.
Return flights from Manchester Airport from £150 in
July.
Before holidaying, check official travel advice for Ibiza coastline. timtimmermann at Flickr
your destination. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Rehman Abubakr at Flickr
14 CULTURE
MARCH 2020
MANCHESTER CENTRAL LIBRARY plays host to Lucy
Bland’s latest exhibition on bi-racial identity.
New Manchester exhibition sheds light on
Britain’s lost bi-racial history
IT’S a common misconception that Black-British history began with the
arrival of HMT Empire Windrush in 1948, but a new exhibition in Man-
chester Central Library aims to change that.
Britain’s ‘Brown Babies’ is bringing human stories that predate the Win-
drush generation into focus. The pop-up exhibition is based on the 45
interviews featured in Lucy Bland’s book – Britain's ‘Brown Babies’:
The Stories of Children Born to Black GIs and White Women in the
Second World War.
Much of the exhibition features stories and photographs which tell vis-
itors the experiences of the bi-racial children born to African-American
GI soldiers, who were stationed in the UK during World War II, and
white British women.
Roughly eight percent of the 3 million GIs who passed through the UK
were African-American, and were stationed across the country, includ-
ing many in the north west.
These relationships were formed when British women would visit black
GIs in segregated pubs, and even dance with them at so-called ‘Black
Dances’. Those events were segregated by the US Army themselves.
This resulted in the birth of roughly 2,000 bi-racial children in the 1940s
– many of these children grew up in and around Manchester and Lan-
cashire; some were kept by their mothers, others were raised by
grandparents, but approximately half of them ended up in the care
system.
According to Professor Bland “very few were adopted because the
Adoption Society wouldn’t take them on their books and said they were
too hard to place”, and a ‘same race’ policy was effectively in operation.
This resulted in some individuals spend-
ing their entire childhood in the care
system.
This was
exacerbated when African-
American fathers who did
attempt to adopt their off-
spring, were prevented by
legislation which stipulated
that children could only be
adopted by British subjects
or relatives where both par-
ents were known.
Bland said many of the babies
“had real problems with identity
and belonging”. Many of them were
raised in predominantly white areas or
by white relatives, which made it difficult for them to engage with their
African heritage.
Bland added: “They hadn’t got any role models, and when they were
older and if they did meet African-Caribbeans, then they either weren’t
black enough or weren’t African-Caribbean. It didn’t feel that they
belonged.”
However, it appears this project has had a positive impact, as many of
the people featured in Bland’s book have found a sense of community
and belonging in each other, through shared experiences – they even
have “their own private Facebook group”.
Bland said that “within less than a generation [attitudes have] changed
enormously” but also recognised that Britain and the United States
have a long way to go in their discussions around racial identity. In par-
ticular the contrasting treatment of Kate Middleton compared to Meghan
Markle: “It’s just extraordinary that people can come out with this stuff
against her.”
Britain’s ‘Brown Babies’ runs in collaboration with the AIU Race Relations
Resource Centre in the basement of Manchester Central Library until
31st March.
www.mancunianmatters.co.uk
Around Greater Manchester in
Five Literary Events
Long before Manchester was named a UNESCO City of Literature, it
was a famous book city on its own merits. Maybe because Anthony
Burgess grew up here or because W.G. Sebald set large parts of The
Emigrants here. Maybe thanks to Shelagh Delaney’s work in A Taste of
Honey (OK fine, technically Greater Manchester, since it’s set in Salford),
or because Gwendoline Riley immortalised virtually every major street in
the centre of town in her perfect booze-soaked first novel, Cold Water.
But enough about the past. If you’ve spent time here, you’ll know that
Manchester’s worst trait is – hands down – the city’s tendency to be nos-
talgic. So what about the present day literary scene? We rounded up our
1
highlights of literary Manchester.
BAD LANGUAGE
This monthly spoken word night has received shout outs from the likes
of The Guardian and Manchester Evening News, and is presented by the
ever-entertaining Fat Roland and Joe Daly. A great place to discover the
new lyrical talent, in an enjoyably rowdy night out setting at Gulliver’s, in THE PEOPLE’S HISTORY
the Northern Quarter. To apply for a spoken word reading slot, email the
MUSEUM hosts a mopthly
organisers from 10 of each month onwards. Don’t worry, the Dutch
courage you’ll need is available at the bar. politicasl book club, and
2
BUY BOOKS AT ELIZABETH
you can sign up on
Eventbrite. LEFT: Eliza-
GASKELL’S HOUSE beth Gaskell’s house.
Photos: Wikimedia
Whether you’re a fan of Victorian writer Elizabeth Gaskell’s realist novels
or her biographies, (she penned the world’s first Charlotte Bronte biog- Commons.
raphy in The Life of Charlotte Bronte, 1857), you should absolutely
THE PEOPLE’S HISTORY
4
replenish your bookshelf at this monthly secondhand book sale. Espe-
cially since all money raised from book sales goes towards running
costs and ensuring the house stays open to the public, so you’re effec-
tively supporting the cultural sector twice over by buying books! It takes MUSEUM’S RADICAL BOOK
place on the second Sunday of the month in the Servants Hall inside Eliz-
abeth Gaskell’s House on Plymouth Grove, a hop skip and a jump from CLUB
the centre of town (AKA 26 minute walk from Piccadilly station). It’s A monthly free book club (though you’ll need to reserve your ticket on
3
next on 12 April. Eventbrite) which does what it says on the tin: an in-group discussion of
a politically-engaged book. An incredible added bonus that you don’t get
ALTRINCHAM WORD FEST
at your mate’s book club is that sometimes the authors of the book
you’re reading give a talk afterwards.
5
This May, wend your way to the end of the metro line for literary gold, cour-
tesy of the two-woman team behind the festival, Anna Earley and Yoko NO MATTER
Isami. Amongst the events confirmed so far, is a writing workshop on food
in fiction from local superstar Lara Williams (Supper Club); an inde- No Matter self-describes as “a bi-monthly feminist poetry and performance
pendent publishers’ book fair; a talk from ‘King of Manc Noir’ David reading series,” which we understood to mean twice a month, but an
Nolan on his ‘difficult’ second novel author talks; a discussion of a col- archive of their events suggests it’s every two months. No matter: it’s elec-
lection of short stories devoted to the Buzzcocks and much, much more. trifying anyway. Held at the Castle in the Northern Quarter, it’s an
Buckle up: it’s going to be a fun ride. intimate spoken word event that largely boasts poetry over prose.

MARCH 2020
Back To The Future
F l i e s o n S t a ge
By Hana Kelly
VISUALLY, “Back to the Future the Musical”
is spectacular.
The show arrived in Manchester bringing the
hit film onto the stage and into the 21st century.
The visual effects really need to be admired in
this performance.
The mixture of video projections and staging
techniques has brought theatre into the future.
Meanwhile, the design team — with illusions by
Paul Kieve, known for his work in “Harry Potter
and the Prisoner of Azkaban” — have smashed
all expectations.
Projections are used to create a clever and
new theatre experience which left audience
members in awe.
Colour and light creates speed for the De-
Lorean, whilst Roger Bart climbs up to the clock
face, by only taking four steps.
This mix of theatre and film is unique and sets
the adaptation on stage in a futuristic way.
Opening with Marty McFly blowing up Doc
Brown’s speaker, you’re im-
mediately in the story. It fol-
lows the storyline from the
first film, but with a mixture
of 50s and 80s music and
dance thrown in for good
measure.
Casting is spot-on. It’s al-
most as if they used the De-
Lorean to go back and bring
the stars into the future.
Marty McFly is perfectly
portrayed by Olly Dobson,
replicating Michael J. Fox’s
iconic performance, both in
dance and in style.
But perhaps even better
is Hugh Coles’ portrayal of
George McFly as a
teenager.
His mannerisms make you believe you are
watching Crispin Glover 35 years ago.
The film is not forgotten in the music with “The
Power of Love”, “Back in Time”, and “Johnny B.
Goode” all included in the score.
However, fresh songs, including the pre-inter-
val track “There’s Something About That Boy,”
really root the performance in the theatre.
Despite the strong musical aspect, the dia-
logue and staging of the film is so closely fol-
lowed that it can feel a little bloated.
You would normally expect a slight adaptation
to the story. But for “Back to the Future,” the
show is the film, but with songs.
The music and lyrics, by Alan Silvestri and
Glen Ballard, feels like they were written for a
film score.
After the interval, Doc Brown sings about 2020
whilst riding a hoverboard, not a film hover-
board, but a 2013 self-balancing scooter-hover-
board.
Another saw George McFly singing about his
short-sightedness whilst he peers through Lor-
raine’s bedroom window.
However some songs, including “There’s
Something About That Boy,” “Gotta Start Some-
where”, and “Put Your Mind To It” add comedic
nuance and really help the show feel at home in
its new theatrical setting.
These songs add depth to characters who,
perhaps, feel a little lost in the film.
Put Your Mind To It is sung as Marty teaches
his teenage dad how to be cool.
This not only gives George McFly character,
but creates a bond between father and son.
The DeLorean, the clock tower, and the blazes
of fire create an exciting, twisting set which will
capture your imagination and leave you wonder-
ing - ‘but how did they do that?’
ARTS 15
wwww.mancunianmatters.co.uk
ATLANTA FOREVER is
‘a celebration of the
early days of women’s
football’
by Hana Kelly
ATLANTA Forever, the new play about the struggle for women’s
football, is set to kick-off at the National Football Museum in
April.
The play, based on a true story, is set in 1920s Britain, when
women were banned by the FA from playing on their grounds.
The play follows Atlanta FC, one of three women’s teams in
Huddersfield. Their matches brought huge crowds and raised
huge sums of money for hospitals, war widows, and so much
more.
The show is a comedy drama, and aimed at a family audience.
The director, Amanda Whittington, has said “you don’t have to
be a football fan to enjoy it but it does play homage to the game.
It’s a story of injustice which asks serious questions, but as a
play, it doesn’t take itself too seriously either.”
“As a small club, Atlanta was a footnote in the history of
women’s football but I’ve imagined the story of the FA ban from
their perspective.”
Whittington also drew on her own experiences as a young girl
in the 1970s who knew she would not be able to continue in
football professionally. The director explained that “I could relate
to the ban and understand how our characters feel.”
Amanda Whittington, a life-long fan of Nottingham Forest
Women FC, explained that she decided to focus on women’s
football post-World War I as she believes it is important to talk
about the almost forgotten history of women’s football. She said
that “by the end of the war, the top teams in the women’s game
were drawing crowds of up to 50,000 in FA grounds.
“When the men returned home and the Football League began
again, the women’s game was shut down by the ruling body. So-
cial attitudes were as much to blame as sport but it’s taken a
century for the women’s game to fully recover.”
Women’s football has seemed to recover, with the United
States’ win at the World Cup last summer drawing in 1.12 billion
viewers worldwide. The 2015 final brought in 764 million view-
ers.
When asked about the USA’s victory in the World Cup, Whit-
tington joked that she wanted England to win, but added “the
United States are an incredible team who are blazing a trail
across the world.”
She went on to say that “the idea of a Women’s World Cup
would have been a fantasy when I was a kid. It’s so wonderful to
see the respect and support for Megan Rapinoe and our fabu-
lous England squad.
“I do believe you have to see it to be it and these kind of role
models are truly life-changing for young girls. All power to them.”
Atlanta Forever is starting in Manchester on 18 April, and trav-
elling across the country by any means necessary until October.
Catch it in Leeds on 22 April, and York on 2 June.
16 ENTERTAINMENT
MARCH 2020 www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

Re v i e w :
M AN I FF 2 0 2 0
OPENING WEEKEND

By Max Blakeley these people help because a lot of the time they seem perfectly One main point that can be taken from their conversation is the
rational, adding that her friend was “driving uber during his ‘break’”. differences in the female experience of working in ‘Hollywood’ (where
Manchester Film Festival had a cracking start this weekend with Lost Transmissions is a triumphant exercise in empathy for Cochran has some experience) and in the British indie-scene.
three very strong and very different films from outside the UK. schizophrenics, that draws the viewer in with a visceral performance Hogg, who described the struggles she faced as she was trying to get
The first films, and their creators, didn’t hold back on current issues from Juno Temple and Pegg, who together steal the film from the a feature film made, stated that they “weren’t necessarily about being a
currently affecting filmmaking and the wider population. rest of the cast. The director’s personal connection to the subject woman…I’ve never gone out of my own bubble because I’ve kept my
Mental health awareness, and the industry gender imbalance were matter can be felt in how she renders her characters. budget very low”.
the two main talking points, with key figures such as Simon Pegg and Her feature debut, the highly acclaimed The Souvenir was released in
Joanna Hogg making their voices heard. Director Stacey Cochran and fellow Indie-director Joanna August 2019, and is an autobiographical story based on Hogg’s
Hog share their views on women in the industry. experiences whilst studying at film school in London.
But first…on a lighter note: Stacey Cochran’s view was quite different, having started her career in
Prior to the screening of her new film – Write When You Get a different time and place.
The festival opened with a film that positively reaffirms some faith in Work – Stacey Cochran was joined, on Sunday, by Joanna Hogg in Cochran described a culture of “being told things that they decide you
the human spirit in times of adversity. conversation. can hear and not being told other things”. However, she also stressed the
Introducing the German romance Traumfatik on MANIFF’s opening When asked if they think that the situation for women in the film point that “it could be that men feel that way too – it’s not easy being a male
night, programming director Al Bailey described it as the “perfect tonic” industry is improving both Cochran and Hogg had different views on independent director”.
for a Saturday night at the movies in this era of “media frenzy and the matter. These viewpoints from two important voices in independent cinema
depressing news”. paint themselves as women who have strived forward in their artform
Directed by Martin Schreier, Traumfatik is a joyously cinematic without giving heed to the perceived gender imbalance. Hogg even added:
celebration of love, imagination and movie-magic itself, set in East Berlin “I haven’t got some great speech about that”.
during the summer of 1961 when the wall was constructed and the East The lack of concern that both Hogg and Cochran display calls into
vs West power struggle was kicking up a gear. question the practicalities of the gender
It follows the story of Emil (Dennis Mojen) and Milou (Emilia Schüle) debate that has been
- star-crossed lovers of their time - he is a German movie extra, and she gaining traction.
is the dance double to a domineering, French film star, played viciously
by Ellenie Gonzalez .
Boasting an ensemble of stock-characters, who are well played, with
‘good guys’ swimming with charm and likeability, and the ‘bad guys’ as Manchester KinoFilm Festival returns
detestable as any of 007’s or Doctor Jones’ adversaries. to Manchester this March.
At the post-screening Q+A audience members, many of whom were
German, commended director Martin Schreier for dealing with that This is not only the sixteenth edition of
historical period in a way that showed people “still laughed” during that the festival, but marks 25 years of
time. KinoFilm events in the region.
Despite its blatant use of clichés, the story is well paced and
structured, and the main cast are captivating enough that we become Some of the films will include famous
faces such as Jack Whitehall and
invested in their emotional journey.
It would be easy to dismiss Traumfatik as cheesy, on-the-nose
MANIFF Short Film Reviews Timothy Spall.
cheap-thrills romance, and that is certainly what it is at times, but it’s By Robson McCallister
The event takes place from
purposeful execution of this tone actually works to the film’s merit.
21st-29th March at multiple venues
Emil is the classic romantic archetype who loves to dream, and the
narrative is framed as his memory as he recalls it to his grandson. Touchscreen across Manchester.
Schreier, who said in the Q+A that a lot of the film is based on his and Kelly Miller stars in Touchscreen: a short focusing on a recluse
his fellow filmmakers’ real experiences – “we’re kind of romantic guys” – coming to grips with his own isolation in order to finally embrace a
is aligned with Emil, a storyteller relaying the message that you should physical relationship. As well as being the lead, Miller also wrote &
find time to dream, to love, and to stand-up to oppressors– a message produced this gripping film, loosely based on a true story. With only his
as old as the cinema itself, and unwavering in its relevance. computer screen being his light and life, Miller is surrounded by
darkness in this expertly crafted piece. As a dimly-lit movie that Semi Skimmed
Lost Transmissions – bringing the mental health conversation acknowledges the strain of online relationships: Touchscreen shines A relatable tale about the aftermath of a holiday romance, James
to MANIFF: from beginning to end. Soldan’s Semi Skimmed captures the blissful naivety of 21st century
Simon Pegg: “it wasn’t slacker zombie hunter, this was a very 4/5 love. With an excellent combination of Solden’s witty writing and Alex
specific condition that manifests itself in a very particular way”. Sharp’s timely delivery, the movie is a success in not taking itself too
Writer/director Katherine O’Brien’s feature debut is a heartfelt and Bike of a Boy seriously. Only eight minutes long, the time flies by as Sharp’s
unflinching depiction of someone with schizophrenia going through a Nicholas Ehret directs this film told from the perspective of a child hopeless romantic of a character tries to find his lost love. The ending
psychotic break, and the hardships that those around him must endure in a war zone. The film is dependent on long-shots, which work in its does an excellent job of encapsulating the attitude of the film; Semi
to see that he gets the care he needs. favour with the countryside setting being ideal to depict a lonesome Skimmed is certainly more than worth a watch.
O’Brien wrote the film based on her own experiences helping a friend boy on his bike. However, the narrative is disorganised and lacks the 4/5
who suffered from schizophrenia, who was also a music producer, as he intended punch, despite the film being directed and shot well. The film
went through what the director calls a “break”. requests a wide array of emotions from its audience but fails to land Chopper
Pegg’s performance is a refreshing change from his usual pace; any. Whilst visually stunning, a more coherent and cohesive story A bittersweet movie about a family having to deal with a former
authentic and heart-breaking when the film requires, but bringing his would have ensured the German short had received top marks. biker’s dementia, Chopper is a wild ride. Giorgos Kapsanakis
quirky charm from the outset. 3/5 successfully manages to blend reality with nostalgia as Eleanor Inglis
The actor carried out extensive research before tackling the role, portrays a granddaughter giving her grandfather one last ride through
saying at the Q+A: “This wasn’t one I felt I could just go in and guess, it Water Off a Duck’s Back memory lane before his journey to the nursing home. The producer
wasn’t slacker zombie hunter, this was a very specific condition that A short about a slaughterhouse deliveryman forming a bond with Simone Ceresato revealed that the concept came from personal family
manifests itself in a very particular way”. a duck should not be this good. That being said, Thomas Morelli’s short experiences with dementia and the short is executed in a respectfully
He goes on to describe meeting with people who have suffered the is that good. The animal co-star is paramount to the film’s success, wholesome way. A cleverly-written, smartly-directed, and well-shot
effects of schizophrenia, and even met the man who inspired his stealing every scene in this charming comedy. Morelli’s use of this duck short, Chopper shows what can be achieved on a smaller budget,
character in the film. makes every scene count and leaves the audience wanting more. incorporating British rock ‘n’ roll nostalgia blended with the realities of
Both director and star wanted to avoid the classic pitfall of “playing Shane Attwoll’s deadpan expressions, mixed in with his animal co- dementia.
crazy”, a tendency of many actors tasked with portraying mental health star’s presence, ensure plenty of laughs in a film that hits all the right 4/5
on-screen. notes.
O’Brien commented that it makes “people who suffer these 5/5
conditions seem violent and dangerous” and that it’s very hard to get

MARCH 2020
Review:
L ew i s Ca p a l d i ,
M a n ch e s te r A p o l l o
By Rich Brown
YOU can run. You can hide. But there is no escaping Lewis
Capaldi. No matter how hard you might try.
Reports suggest that Martians are packing up and moving to
the far-reaches of the Solar System just to make it less likely they’ll to break up with her. “Go away for a year,” he advised, “write an album and you
ever hear Someone You Loved again.
Capaldi has taken over from Ed Sheeran as the man to
monopolise the airwaves. Even his little cousin Ava is apparently
sick of hearing him on the radio.
He often shows up where you don’t expect. Good Morning
Britain recently displayed a photo of the Brit-Award winner’s face
instead of Ant McPartlin. Because, you know, that’s an easy
mistake to make.
You might think it’s fine because you stream nothing but
South African Ska music. Doesn’t matter, he’ll still pop up in your
suggested artists. You’ll brush your teeth, get into bed and what
would you know - there he is. Tickling your chest and stretching
too far into your half of the bed. But he was nominated for a
Grammy and he’s loaded, so it’s cool.
It was no surprise then to see Lewis Capaldi at the
Manchester Apollo, given it was a ticketed event in his name. This,
day two of the tour and the second night in Manchester, was
another sell out.
Not even the impending obliteration of civilisation by COVID-
19 could keep fans away. Nor could it deter former Manchester
United star and Capaldi fan, Wayne Rooney, taking vantage from
the lower circle. His wife Coleen also joined him on detective duty.
Unsurprisingly, Manchester-legend Noel Gallagher was
nowhere to be seen. Him and Capaldi, let’s say, don’t quite see
eye to eye. “You might wanna try and find some joy in your tunes
you’re destroying the youth” Noel had tweeted back in 2019,
having also referred to him as ‘Chewbacca’. The feud shows no
sign of slowing down.
Indeed, Manchester was positively joyless on Tuesday night,
as Capaldi worked his way through hits from the melancholic but
critically acclaimed Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent. But
that’s why fans were here. The more miserable the song, the
louder the people sing.
Opening with Grace, the crowd erupted into gregarious
sorrow. The audience was a mix of generations, many clinging on
teary-eyed to every word. “I’m not ready to be just another one of
your mistakes” sang Cindy, aged 11, as she grieved over the
messy end to her relationship with Aaron after an unfortunate
packed-lunch incident.
From here, there was no turning back. The audience didn’t
miss a word of every morbid anthem. The noise was deafening as
Capaldi introduced Forever, and after four songs, Capaldi, self-
aware as he has become known, promised that the happy songs
were done, and the crowd should get ready for an hour of
disappointment.
The crowd were not left disappointed.
Capaldi, as well as being a gifted vocalist, showcased his
eloquence and charm. “If I run off, it’s because I’ve sh*t myself”, he
said. “I could burst at any minute”. He has a knack of getting away
with such quips in ways that others wouldn’t. Don’t ever expect
Emeli Sandé to take to the stage rattling a box of Imodium.
The evening was a sour cocktail of top-quality entertainment.
A base of brilliant ballads, a dash of heartbreak, and a touch of
stand-up comedy. Capaldi has a sharp wit stimulated by sadness
that would be befitting of a Channel 4 panel show. 8 out of 10 Cats
Does Breakdowns, perhaps.
ENTERTAINMENT 17
wwww.mancunianmatters.co.uk
“I want you to think about all the things your partner did with your ex that they
now do with you”, Capaldi asked the audience, to fits of laughter, as couples
juddered and looked in opposite directions.
He even turned agony-aunt, providing relationship advice to an audience
member who had bought tickets to the gig for her and her boyfriend, only for him
might find it does really well.” He went on to suggest that her ex might even “go on
Love Island and win the f*cking thing”.
This truly was Live at the Apollo.
Even in the foot-stomping Hollywood, Capaldi reminded us that the song is
“actually f*cking sad”.
Alas, the beautiful and emotive Someone You Loved was saved for the
encore as audience members and Martians joined in on the biggest sing-song of
the night.
Wayne Rooney later described the event as “unbelievable” on social media.
As did Coleen, as she packed away her magnifying glass. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds will
They were right. The lovable Scot is at the helm of British music for a reason. be appearing at Manchester 02 Apollo
Capaldi took to the stage like a jaunty student who had stumbled into the on Tuesday 24 March
wrong lecture. It’s as if even he can’t believe the speed of his rise to the pinnacle
of British music. And he’s making the most of it, before he goes away to record the
difficult second album.
Only if Noel had been there, perhaps he’d have changed his mind on Capaldi.
Definitely. Maybe.
The Orielles at The Ritz
By Tom Preece
"WITH my fate behind my back, is last Thursday ever real?" sings
Esme, of The Orielles during their first song 'Come Down On Jupiter'.
The Orielles' homecoming show at the Ritz last Thursday didn't seem
real - a journey with the band into outer-space as they traversed through
their new record that's full of inspiration from outside of our own galaxy.
It certainly took a few songs for the show to warm up, the band ushered
through the first three, admittedly to a semi-raucous crowd. After all, the
album had only been released the previous week.
The band swiftly moved into first album hit 'Let Your Dogtooth Grow'
simultaneously lifting the mood in the room. Guitarist Henry Carlyle-Wade
thrashes across the stage with intent, the sea of flailing limbs is too fast for
your eyes to keep up with.
The performance improves song-by-song, as do the quirks inextricably
linked to the band's sound; chimes, whistles and cow bells in their droves.
The next song, 'Bobbi's Second World' started in laughter as Henry
described the cat, after which the song is named, as an "a*****le now",
declaring that fame had changed the once so adored studio feline.
The set came to a close with the band's biggest hit 'Sugar Tastes Like
Salt', joined on-stage by support band, Seatbelts. The song builds in
tension perfectly as the guitar riffs of Esme Dee Hand-Halford, combined
with sister Sidonie's drumming, bring the crowd close to the edge, before
reeling them back in with a change in tempo.
It was a special occasion for the band, their biggest Manchester show to
date, one shared with the crowd in a relationship-binding experience.
The Orielles firmly proved that they play in their own league, within the
indie scene. No one comes close, and they won't for some time.
18 SPORT
MARCH 2020 www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

Rochdale A.F.C.
Predicted Grade: C-

Oldham Athletic
Bolton Wanderers
Predicted Grade: C--
Predicted Grade: D-

Wigan Athletic
Predicted Grade: A-

Salford City
Predicted Grade: A-

Manchester City
Predicted Grade: B-
Manchester United
Predicted Grade: B+

Original photo © WikiMedia Commons,

End of season report: Grading Greater Manchester’s football

Ordnance Survey Data

clubs
By Robson McCallister
THE business end of the football season is fast home, Wigan Athletic have certainly put themselves in good stead that the club’s downfall is finally over.
approaching and Mancunian Matters have handed out towards avoiding relegation from the SkyBet Championship. The
in-form Latics have picked up 10 points from their previous 4
Rochdale A.F.C
predicted report grades for our seven teams within the games, whilst fellow relegation rivals such as Middlesborough
Entering their sixth successive season in League One,
Greater Manchester region. and Charlton Athletic have floundered. Wigan have to carry on this
Rochdale Athletic have become accustomed to fighting for survival
in League One. Certainly, the disastrous performances of Bolton
Manchester City momentum towards the business end of the season but as it Wanderers, Southend United, and Tranmere Rovers have signif-
‘The Guardiola Era’ is in serious jeopardy after a woeful per- stands, Wigan have every chance to achieve their singular goal in icantly eased pressure on Rochdale, but that won’t make any
formance in this season’s Premier League. With Liverpool avoiding relegation. difference to the Dale faithful. Barring a disastrous late spell of form,
blues’ attention turns to the only trophy boss Pep Guardiola is Bolton Wanderers
all-but-certain to win their first league title in the modern era, the Rochdale look to have done enough to survive, barely.
missing as City’s manager: the UEFA Champions League. Having It seemed at one point that Bolton were destined to suffer the Salford City
won the League Cup earlier this month, the current champions can Salford’s debut season in the English Football League can only
still capture both the Champions League and the FA Cup. However, be described as a success. Relegation is almost mathematically
due to UEFA’s decision to ban the Citizens from European football impossible, despite months of the season remaining. Despite
for two years from this summer onwards, the pressure has never being unable to attain a consistent run of form throughout the
been harder on Guardiola and his team to salvage a major cup. season, the football league new-boys find themselves only nine
points off of the play-offs. Achieving a top-seven spot would certainly
Manchester United be overachieving, but if Salford pick up some momentum, their
United have remained undefeated since the signing of Bruno Fer- debut season could have another twist in the tale.
nandes in January, and their recent turn of form has kickstarted a
push for European qualification. The Portugese international has Oldham Athletic
been a revelation in midfield, scoring 3 goals in 6 games and In the 2018/2019 season, Oldham found themselves back in
looks to be the signing of the winter transfer window. Beating League Two for the first time since the seventies and thus far, it
Manchester City 2-0 earlier this month has further propelled a same fate as fellow neighbours Bury. At one point in the season, looks as if they will be remaining there. In their second season back
league expulsion was lingering amongst the historic club. A 12 point
remarkable turnaround for the Red Devils, and despite a forgettably in England’s fourth division, the main reason for Oldham’s stag-
deduction at the start of this season and a squad consisting of inex-
average start to the season, the in-form United can still make up for nation can be pointed due to their high record of draws, being
lost time with European glory in the UEFA Europa League. perienced academy players ensures that relegation to League second-most for stalemates in the entire division. Jonny Smith’s
Two is almost a certainty for the financially-troubled club. Howev- nine goals seem to have ensured survival in the division, but
Wigan Athletic er with a new chairman in Sharon Brittain, Bolton fans will be investment must be made next season to avoid another forgettable
Having beaten both the top two teams in their division away from hopeful that next season is is a fresh start and gain newfound hope season.
 SPORT 19
MARCH 2020 wwww.mancunianmatters.co.uk

Luck be the
Lady tonight
SHOCK ON THE KOP AS ATLETICO By Oliver Watson
THE rally of women from Whitehall
during last Sunday’s
‘march4women’ seems to have
S T U N A NF IE L D made its way to the Cheltenham
racecourse, as Rachael Blackmore
aims to be the first female jockey to
top the Cheltenham Festival on
Friday. The reason for this is that
female jockeys are looking to
eclipse their record-breaking 2019
success, outperforming their male
counterparts for the first time.
Among those returning is Black-
more, who won twice in last year’s
event, riding to victory on 50/1 out-
sider Minella Indo in the Albert
Bartlett Novice Hurdle. Blackmore
was pipped at the post previously
as the top jockey by Paul Tow-
nend. Entering 11 races,
Blackmore is aiming to be the first
ever woman to claim the honour.
Speaking to the BBC, Blackmore
said: "I get that it would be mas-
sive [for a female jockey] to win a
Gold Cup or a Champion Hurdle,
but, for me, my initial feeling would-
n't be 'ah this is so big for women in
racing' - though I'm not oblivious to

LIVERPOOL 2-3 A.MADRID A(ggregate 2-4)

the fact that it would be a big deal.”
Bookmakers SkyBet have listed
Blackmore’s chances at 9/2.

By Rich Brown
IT was starting to feel so familiar. We had been
here before, many times. With their backs
against the wall, Liverpool always conjure a
way to win, as if inspired by divine interven-
tion, or a romantic, mystical force – especially
on big European nights under the lights at
Anfield.
But Diego Simeone and his team, known
way to extra time. The game ended regular
time with Liverpool leading 1-0 from a
Georginio Wijnaldum header in the 43rd
minute following some nifty work down the
right between Trent Alexander Arnold and Mo
Salah, and a whipped in cross from Oxlade
Chamberlain.
Within five minutes of the restart, Liverpool
were cruising into the next round as Roberto
Firminio increased their lead to 2-0, prodding
unrelenting assault from start to finish. But Jan
Oblak showed exactly why he is coveted as one
of, if not the best goalkeeper in the world. At 27,
he still has 10 years at the top and it would be
a surprise if Europe’s top teams don’t try to
prise him away in the summer.
Adrian on the other hand, in for the injured
Allison, might have played his final Champi-
ons League match for the club. Before the
game, Jurgen Klopp had been seen address-
Celine Dion backing track
Atletico Madrid fans would have arrived that
day wondering if the trip had been worth the
risk. They had not been allowed to travel to
Getafe at the weekend, but oddly had been
allowed to board the plane to John Lennon
Airport.They will tell you it had all been worth it.
There’s no taking away Liverpool’s Premier A BATTLE FOR SUPREMACY
League success this season. Their points haul
The Invincibles’
is unprecedented. But within a matter of

for being masters of the dark arts, had some
sorcery up their sleeves.
For 90 minutes, there was no reason to think
this was going any way other than a Liverpool
victory. Klopp’s men were back to their normal,
relentless best, playing with the intensity and
guile that won them the tournament last year
and had been lacking over the past few weeks.
Liverpool had their opponents under the
cosh from the off, starting aggressively and
peppering Jan Oblak’s goal.Even fullback
Andy Robertson could have had a hat-trick.
You’d have well been in your right to consider
switching channels, having seen this narrative
play out before. This was the champions elect,
and they had never lost a two-legged Euro-
home a rebound off the post which fell kindly
into his path.It would have been easy to see the
tie as dead. Time to brush your teeth, and belt
out several verses of happy birthday whilst,
thoroughly, washing your hands.
But unlike the start of the night, suddenly
Liverpool had something to lose.
Anybody returning to their TV sets ten min-
utes later with glistening teeth and germ-free
fingertips would have been puzzled to see
Diego Simone running in frenzy down the
touchline towards his team’s supporters -
Mourinho-esque, as Atletico fans screamed
and jumped in the air in elation. The scoreline
read 2-2, the holder’s crashing out of the com-
petition on away goals.
The tie was a tale of two goalkeepers. Liv-
ing his team’s own fans who called for
high-fives as players came out the tunnel.
Klopp told them to “put their hands away”.
Perhaps Adrian had been nearby and inter-
preted this as an instruction.
It started with Adrian shanking a clearance
straight into the path of João Felix. The Por-
tuguese fed Marcos Llorente who dispatched
the ball low into the bottom corner.
Before the end of the first half of extra time,
Llorente was in again, driving the ball low into
the same corner. Had the outstanding Oblak
been tending the goal, you imagine he’d have
got his hands to it.
Álvaro Morata, on loan from Chelsea, fin-
ished the job - coolly slotting home in the final
seconds to make it 2-3. A goal that will no
weeks, their treble and double hopes have
been dashed, and there’s a danger that that
they will have to lift the Premier League trophy
behind closed doors.
Liverpool fans have been in dreamland.
They will wonder quite how this nightmare
against Madrid happened.
Elsewhere, there wasn’t a single spectator
inside the Parc de Princes last night, as Paris St
Germain defeated a muted Borussia Dort-
mund to reach the last eight of the Champion’s
League 2-0. However, hundreds of fans who
had gathered outside the Paris stadium were
treated to a solid comeback. Neymar’s header
and Juan Bernat’s deflection provided the
goals to over-turn the 2-1 deficit from the first leg
against the German side, to produce an aggre-
Legacy Lives On
DUE to their 3-0 loss to Watford
at Vicarage Road on the 29th of
February, Liverpool failed to
match Arsenal’s record of com-
pleting an entire Premier
League season without register-
ing a single loss. Arsène
Wenger assembled his ‘invinci-
bles’ team for the 03-04 sea-
son, and despite losing games
in other domestic and European
competitions, the team ran
away with the league title,

SPURS NOT UP TO THE MARK BY OLLIE WATSON

pean tie under Klopp, winning all of the
previous 10.But somehow, the game found its erpool had 34 attempts on goal. It was an
TOTTENHAM Hotspur fans will be hoping for a
shock Gold Cup victory at Cheltenham to take their
thoughts off their dismal exit from the UEFA Cham-
pions League, having lost 4-0 on aggregate to Ger-
many’s Red Bull Leipzig on Wednesday night.
Already trailing 0-1 from the first leg, the London
side’s deficit was doubled after just ten minutes,
Marcel Sabitzer out-foxed Erik Lamela to finish Timo
Werner’s pass, curling it in at the far-post as Hugo
Lloris could only get a glove to it.
Spurs have been a far cry this season, from the
side who reached the Champions League final last
year and their performance here continued this poor
run of form. Aside from Giovani Lo Celso’s half-
hearted shot straight at Peter Gulacsi, Tottenham
never really looked like a team who could master-
mind a memorable comeback..
This was compounded by the tenacity of Sabitzer,
the Austrian international drove home a second for
doubt be reproduced online by rival fans with a gate score of 3-2. recording 26 wins, 12 draws,
and zero losses. Although Liv-
erpool have taken an almighty
whack at this record, they have
found what every other team in
the German side in the 21st minute. Again, Lloris Tottenham’s abject night was concluded when history has also found: that Ar-
dived the right way, only for him to allow the ball to substitute Emil Forsberg sprung up in the 87th senal’s unbeaten season may
slip past his fingers into the corner of the net. minute, to latch onto Angeliño’s loose cross, mak- always prove an insurmount-
It was clear that Spurs tried to change the tempo ing it three and easy for the red-hot Leipzig. able challenge. It is still possi-
in the second half but José Mourinho’s tactic of In their first full season at their new stadium, ble, and seems fairly likely, that
Spurs fans have now suffered the misfortune of not Jurgen Klopp’s side will equal
being knocked out of one competition, but two in or better Manchester City’s
the space of a week. record for total Premier League
The Spurs faithful would have hoped the patchy points; in the 17-18 season,
defensive performance from their loss to Norwich Guardiola’s side amassed an
City in the FA Cup would not be repeated, but it ap- astonishing 100 points from a
pears the Lilywhites took their bad form to Leipzig. possible 114, earning that side
Angelino, who struggled to get in the team at the enviable nickname, ‘the
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM centurions’. Who needs the
league rivals Manchester City, made right back
nickname ‘the invincibles’? In
pushing wingers up-field only worked to expose Serge Aurier look out of his depth, and it was often
order to equal the citizens’
their own midfield. Two of their key players in Dele left to Eric Dier to cover his teammate’s tracks..
points record, Liverpool must
Alli and Lucas Moura had only two shots on target Once again, Tottenham find themselves complet-
take at least 18 points from the
for the whole 90 minutes, and looked hopelessly out ing a season without a trophy, and only time will tell 27 remaining available.
of place. if Spurs and Mourinho are indeed the perfect match.
 Sport
Season in doubt? How Covid-19 is affecting football’s finances
By Tom Preece
THE disruption caused by the spread of deadly virus Covid-19 was felt
by the football world this week, with matches across the continent being
postponed amidst fears of the virus spreading further.
It poses more questions over how the football season can finish
safely.
Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola both voiced concerns over playing
to empty stadiums on the same day that Nottingham Forest and
Olympiakos owner, Evangelos Marinakis, was revealed to have con-
tracted the disease.
The Premier League has also felt the strain as Manchester City’s
home tie against Arsenal was called off, which the League called “a pre-
cautionary measure”. The game was scratched as a result of a number
of Arsenal players coming into contact with the Olympiakos owner, fol-
lowing their away tie in February. Arsenal have confirmed that those
players have self-isolated, though many are expected to play at the
weekend.
It was also announced that a number of European fixtures were to be
played to empty stadiums. Chelsea’s away match against Bayern
Munich was the first to be named in a swathe of ties to be played behind
closed doors. Europa League games between Manchester United and
LASK, Olympiakos and Wolves, as well as Rangers’ tie against Lev-
erkusen were all victims of the Covid-19 postponement purge.
Then, just this morning, Real Madrid announced a quarantine for all of
their players. Whilst La Liga went one step further, postponing the next
two match days. Spain wasn’t the only victim either; fears ramped up fur-
ther in Italy following the positive diagnosis of Juventus midfielder
Daniele Rugani.
Despite the growing fears, Liverpool’s second-leg loss against Atleti-
co Madrid still went ahead last night, with the Reds faltering in extra-time
to the side who beat them in the Europa League Semi-Finals, way back
in 2011. Their manager Jurgen Klopp, already an outspoken critic on
involving non-qualified figures in the disease debate, said at his pre-match
press conference: “There are things that are more important than football.
I think we realise that again in this moment” .
His Premier League counterpart, Pep Guardiola, echoed the same sen-
timents. “You have to ask whether it is worth playing football without the
spectators,” said the Manchester City manager.
“It doesn’t make any sense to play professional football without the
people, because they are the ones we do it for, but obviously we are going
to follow the instructions we are given.”
Meanwhile, there are growing fears that Nottingham Forest owner,
Marinakis, may have spread the virus. He was spotted at the City
Ground last Friday, as his team fell to Millwall. It’s alleged on social
media that he met with his players following their loss and was pho-
tographed with Forest fans outside the ground.
Whilst the big English clubs have borne the brunt of the virus thus far,
there are more questions over how Covid-19 could affect teams in the
lower ebbs of English Football. Here in the Greater Manchester region,
there are no less than 23 lower and non-league clubs, who could all well
have matches cancelled.
The major question being asked is how can these football clubs stay
afloat if a major source of their already limited revenue is taken away
through the postponement of matches?
Football finance expert, Kieran Maguire, commented that the virus out-
break could cause all number of financial problems for our lower-tier North
West clubs. “Lower league clubs rely on matchday income to a much
greater proportion than Premier League. For instance, Premier League
clubs receive one pound from every seven spent on matchdays; in the
football league that figure is one from every three.”
These financial fears come at a time where clubs are already worry-
ing over their expenditure, especially given the struggles that former
@MM_newsonline
www.mancunianmatters.co.uk
Football League club, Bury, faced when they went into administration ear-
lier this season – something that Maguire was keen to point out.
“When you take into consideration the EFL have already charged
two clubs for non-payment of wages in Macclesfield and Southend. If this
is replicated and the EFL are also losing out, we could definitely be
looking at another situation like Bury,” he said.
There have been calls for the Football Association and Football
League to step in and help those clubs in dire need of some financial aid.
Maguire noted that the Premier League could even be called upon to sup-
port smaller clubs, as the ‘father of the football pyramid’.
“Clubs like Tranmere Rovers have said already that the postponement
of matches will leave them £200,000 worse off per league fixture – pen-
nies to a Premier League club, but a massive amount of revenue for an
EFL club. I think the Premier League could prove itself by making a
generous and beneficial offer,” Maguire said.
He added that given the current monetary funds available to both
the FA and Premier League, an offer could almost be expected by EFL
clubs.
“The FA has resources of £40million in their latest balance sheet.
The Premier League has £1.5bn spare in its accounts. The fact is that the
footballing authorities do have the wealth to reach out and offer some form
of support.”
It’s not just the clubs who have to worry about the depth of their pock-
ets. Club supporters are also set to fall foul of the virus as match
cancellations and postponements means that ticket holders could quite
easily lose out financially. Maguire foresees several bumps in the road
as a plan is thrashed by the footballing powers that be, to ensure that both
the clubs and fans alike are happy with any agreement.
“These are complex issues, one being whether or not there is an obli-
gation for clubs to repay fans. It’s unresolved as yet and there may
even have to be a test case for precedent to be set,” he said.