Four people who epitomise the best of Bury have been granted the borough’s highest civic honour. But a fifth who was granted the award, England and Newcastle United full back Kieran Trippier, had to miss the ceremony as he was busy helping his team reach a Wembley cup final.
Trippier, 32, grew up in Summerseat and attended Holcombe Brook Primary School and Woodhey High School in Ramsbottom. The former, Manchester City, Burnley, Spurs and Atletico Madrid ace was due to be awarded the Freedom of Bury at a special meeting of the full council on Tuesday, January 31 and be presented with a medallion and scroll along with four other people granted the honour.
But Newcastle’s Carabao semi-final second leg meeting with Southampton, where they won the right to meet Manchester United in the final on February 26, clashed with the event. Bury Council said it had agreed to award the Freedom of Bury to the England footballer in recognition of his outstanding performances, which included a semi-final goal, representing England in the FIFA World Cup of 2018 and a second time in Qatar 2022, and the ‘continued inspiring effect these sporting achievements have had on the children of the borough’.
