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Here's the Mancunian Way for today:
Bittersweet Caroline
England got their World Cup campaign off to an incredibly impressive start on-the-pitch with a comfortable 6-2 victory over Iran, in which the Three Lions barely had to shift out of second gear.
One of England's five different goalscorers was Manchester City star Jack Grealish, who kept good on a promise to a 12-year-old Wythenshawe lad called Finlay. Finlay, who has cerebral palsy, had asked Grealish to perform a wiggle dance next time he scored and the winger happily obliged after netting England's sixth in the 90th minute.
Jack Grealish performing 'The Finlay' after scoring against Iran (Credit: Getty Images Europe)
I, like many others, gathered with my mates in a pub to watch the action unfold and in Manchester, thousands piled into the new dedicated fanzone at Mayfield Depot.
Despite the jubilation over the scoreline, it was bittersweet for many due to the off-the-field issues in Qatar and a number of countries (including England) making a last-minute U-turn on wearing the ‘One Love’ armbands that were supposed to be a show of solidarity with LGBTQ+ communities.
One fan told reporter Nicole Wootton-Cane: "I'm here because I want to watch football, that's what I enjoy. But it annoys me that Qatar are acting in this way. If it was our women's team playing over there, a lot of them are gay, you know it wouldn't go ahead in this way. I think it's unacceptable in this day and age."
We will get on to more local reaction about that decision later in the newsletter - along with stories about a row over a Christmas lights event, the latest update in the tragic Awaab Ishak saga, and why commuters are being asked not to give money to homeless people at traffic lights.
'Assumptions made about lifestyle of Awaab Ishak's family'
Rochdale Boroughwide Housing has admitted that 'assumptions' were made about the 'lifestyle' of Awaab Ishak's family. The two-year-old was killed by breathing in the black mould that plagued his family's one bed flat in Rochdale's Freehold estate.
Stephen Topping, who has been investigating the story since the summer, examined how much of a part prejudice played in the toddler's death.
One line in a written statement by an RBH worker who visited Awaab's family home read: "I saw a bucket which I assumed was being used for bathing."
The housing association claims that it 'abhors racism in any shape or form' but admitted that 'wrong' assumptions were made.
"We did make assumptions about lifestyle and we accept that we got that wrong," a spokesman wrote in a long Twitter thread.
"We will be implementing further training across the whole organisation. We abhor racism in any shape or form and we know that we have a responsibility to all our communities.
"We want to start by saying again how sorry we are for the loss of Awaab. We know our words will not take away the pain felt by his family, nor will they immediately heal the hurt and the strength of feeling which is justifiably being felt in Rochdale and across the country.
"Our whole organisation, which is made up of caring and passionate colleagues, is completely focussed on putting things right for our customers, the people of Rochdale and the wider community and sector. However, we know that we got things badly wrong."
Over the weekend, the RBH board sacked chief executive Gareth Swarbrick less than 48 hours after they said that he had their 'full confidence'.
While he was in post, Stephen Topping tried on numerous occasions to talk with Mr Swarbrick and he was stonewalled each and every time.
Refusing to engage with the press to answer for their failings and instead hiding behind prepared statements on social media represents a flagrant refusal to be held accountable, and it has been that way since the Awaab Ishak story initially broke months ago. It is perhaps a concerning indication of how the organisation continues to run day-to-day, despite promises that they are trying to be better.
'Stop giving money to traffic light beggars'
Commuters on Manchester’s ring road may have noticed a rise in people begging at traffic lights in recent months and years but a top GMP cop has told people to stop giving money to these people, claiming that their situation may not be as it seems.
City centre reporter Ethan Davies recently visited the area and spoke to some homeless people about the ‘fear’ and ‘desperation’ that comes with a life spent begging and sleeping rough.
However, speaking at a press conference, Superintendent Ian Jones warned that ‘professional beggars’ often place themselves at traffic lights to target concertgoers or football fans. He asked that people donate to local homelessness charities such as Real Change MCR or the Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity, rather than street beggars.
“Traffic light begging is a big issue for us,” he admitted. "There's a lot of genuine people there who are begging, but that's one of the main areas where we get what I call the professional beggars going out and targeting events, whether it's football or concerts.”
Two weeks ago, four people were arrested for begging in one morning, either because they were professional beggars or refusing to engage with the police, according to Supt Jones. Another 14 were taken to the street engagement hub where they were offered support, he said. Supt Jones added the police do not want to criminalise beggars, but sometimes need to arrest them if they are not willing to engage with the support offered.
Christmas Lights event row
A row has broken out after a local food and drink trader was left out of Dunham Massey's popular Christmas Lights event.
Dunham Apple Barn slammed the decision as 'disappointing' and claimed that punters would be 'overcharged' for 'average fayre'.
The after-dark illuminated festive trail is aimed at all ages and will be held at the historic National Trust venue until January 2.
The event's organisers, Raymond Gubbay Ltd, told the M.E.N that three of the six food traders are local to Dunham Massey (Little Heath Farm, Cyprus Kouzina, and Little Red Pizza).
A spokesman said: "We have six food traders onsite at Dunham Massey. Five of them are the same as last year. We have one new operator. We are now operating the bars ourselves, internally.”
The Forgotten Frontier
Nostalgia writer Lee Grimsditch has been remembering trips to Frontierland in the 1980s and 90s.
The Wild West theme park in Morecambe closed in 2000 and has lay abandoned for the past 20-years. Many will remember it fondly for its classic rides such as the Texas Tornado roller coaster, Runaway Mine Train and Polo Tower.
If you want a blast from the past, then you can check out his picture special here.
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Weather etc
Wednesday: Wet and breezy in the morning followed by sunny spells and blustery showers in the afternoon. 10C.
Trains: No services on Avanti West Coast on Saturday, November 26 due to strike action
Trivia question: Manchester City signed Jack Grealish from Aston Villa for an English record of £100 million, but which Midlands club did he play 39 games for on loan in the 2013-14 season?
Manchester headlines
- Floods: Residents in Timperley have had to blockade their homes after waking up to find their driveways submerged with water following a burst water pipe.
- Manchester United protests: Three men have been slapped with football banning orders for their roles in a large-scale disturbance at Old Trafford, following a protest against the club's ownership by the Glazer family.
- Bacon factory: Around 300 jobs are to be created in Rochdale after global food giant Danish Crown revealed plans to invest over £100m in a new bacon factory. Click here for the full story.
Worth a read
As referenced at the top of the newsletter, England’s impressive win was tainted somewhat by their climbdown over the ‘One Love’ armband just hours before kick off.
Manchester Evening News’ brilliant LGBTQ+ correspondent Adam Maidment has written an excellent opinion piece on why he feels the U-turn by England (as well as Wales, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands and Switzerland) is a ‘wasted opportunity but not a surprise’.
That's all for today
Thanks for joining me. If you have stories you would like us to look into, email thomas.molloy@reachplc.com.
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The answer to today's trivia question is: Notts County
