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Here's the Mancunian Way for today:
Hello and welcome,
What’s everyone up to this weekend? A walk in the park as the leaves change to glorious shades of red, orange and yellow? Or perhaps you’ll be meeting friends in the pub? Obviously I’ll be updating my Neighbours scrapbook.
Oh hang on, there’s a World Cup isn’t there? Not that you’d know it. Normally there would be plenty of England flags hanging from windows around my neighbourhood - but they’re missing at the moment. It’s not a normal World Cup though is it?
For one thing it’s happening slap bang in the middle of a season. And the talk about Qatar 2022 has, quite rightly, been dominated by concerns about the nation’s human rights violations.
If you’re still planning to watch the games, there are plenty of places in Manchester where you can do so. Although the Gay Village is unlikely to be one of them.
Manchester Pride has today called on its supporters to boycott the World Cup - and for bars and venues to not show the matches. Manchester Pride has united with Birmingham, Brighton and London Pride to take the stance in relation to Qatar’s laws over LGBTQ+ lives and women.
Male homosexuality is illegal in Qatar, with punishments of fines, prison sentences and even the death penalty.
Mark Fletcher, CEO of Manchester Pride, says FIFA appears to be sending a message to the world that ‘they don’t think LGBTQ+ people are, or should be involved in sport, and that protecting LGBTQ+ people is not something they need to be involved with’ by choosing Qatar as the host nation.
He says Pride has put together guidance so those who feel strongly about FIFAs decision ‘can really do something about it’.
“We want to inform and empower our community and allies to be able to boycott the FIFA World Cup in a productive way, where we can help support the global LGBTQ+ community and shine a light on injustices and discrimination faced day to day,” he adds.
As well as boycotting the event, Manchester Pride wants people to write to FIFA and the tournament’s sponsors to highlight injustices.
As LGBT+ reporter Adam Maidment writes in his excellent weekly newsletter (which you can sign up to here ) ‘there are some heading into this year’s tournament with a real sense of fear and trepidation’.
He spoke to Bertie Moores, a player at gay and inclusive football club Village Manchester (VMFC), who will be watching the games, but says the event is ‘tarred'.
Reputations are at stake too of course. While presenting Have I Got News for You this month, Gary Neville was slated for agreeing to be a pundit for beIN Sports, which is owned by the Qatar state. The former United player justified the move by saying ‘you either highlight the issues and challenges in these countries, and speak about them, or you basically don’t say anything and stay back home’.
But team captain Ian Hislop said: “There’s another option. You stay at home and highlight the abuses. You don’t have to go and take the Qatari's money.”
And Neville is not the only former United player taking some flack over the issue. Comedian Joe Lycett has offered an ultimatum to David Beckham warning his ‘status as a gay icon will be shredded’ if he doesn’t back step down as an ambassador for Qatar - a position estimated to be worth anything between £10-£150 million.
Lycett has vowed to shred £10,000 in cash unless Beckham renounces the role. The football legend has not responded but yesterday told the Supreme Committee’s 'Generation Amazing' youth festival in Doha the Qatar World Cup will be a platform for tolerance and inclusivity.
Bertie Moores says many LGBTQ+ people see Beckham and Victoria Beckham as ‘individuals who have been very supportive of the community in the past’. “I think some people feel that taking big wodges of money to effectively do PR for the tournament is a little bit inappropriate. A lot of people have different views on whether people should be going there or not. It’s a very complex discussion," he says.
An apology but no resignation
Gareth Swarbrick - the man in charge of the housing association that failed Awaab Ishak - says he will not resign over the toddler's death.
Awaab died following prolonged exposure to mould at his home in the Freehold estate - managed by Rochdale Borough Housing (RBH).
Chief executive Mr Swarbrick has faced mounting calls to quit, including from Housing Secretary Michael Gove.
He has now apologised to Awaab’s family in a statemen t on the RBH website acknowledging that ‘no apology will ever be enough’ but confirming he has the ‘full backing’ and trust of his board to ‘oversee the improvements and changes needed within RBH’.
Work to implement the changes referenced by Mr Swarbrick only started after the M.E.N exposed conditions families were suffering in over the summer - more than 18 months on from Awaab's death.
Awaab's Law: Sign our petition to ensure no other child dies from damp and mouldy social housing
Trust boss steps down
The boss of Greater Manchester's mental health trust is stepping down after 'inexcusable behaviour and examples of unacceptable care' were 'exposed' at a mental health unit.
Rupert Nichols - who chairs Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust - has written to governors, board members and colleagues announcing his early retirement at the end of next month.
A total of 30 staff at the Edenfield Centre, in the grounds of the former Prestwich Hospital, are currently facing disciplinary action and a dozen have already been sacked after BBC Panorama claimed patients there were abused
Councillors are seeking a public inquiry into the trust and a Care Quality Commission report is due to be published soon.
As Helena Vesty reports, Mr Nichols has told colleagues the Trust would ‘benefit from a new chair' during this 'recovery period'.
The Edenfield Centre remains closed to new patient admissions, with an enhanced management team in place.
Greater Manchester Police is continuing a separate investigation into the centre.
The fallout
Manchester United will consider terminating Cristiano Ronaldo's contract following his explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
The club is looking at taking legal action against Ronaldo for a possible breach of contract, which could result in his current deal being terminated.
A statement from the club on Friday confirmed they have 'initiated appropriate steps' after the final part of Ronaldo's interview was aired on Thursday night.
The footballer made a variety of comments during an interview with TalkTV, criticising aspects varying from manager Erik ten Hag to the Glazer family’s ownership and club infrastructure.
Given the run around
Andy Burnham has welcomed the Chancellor’s promise to bring a new ‘trailblazer’ devolution deal to Greater Manchester.
The mayor says greater powers over housing, skills and transport and a single, block grant similar to Scotland and Wales would ‘represent a major strengthening of devolution in England.
“The fact that the Government is looking positively at these proposals is itself a significant vote of confidence in what Greater Manchester is achieving,” he says.
However the mayor has slammed the government’s ‘second retreat’ on promises to build Northern Powerhouse Rail in full, detailed in Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement.
“This was promised in the Manifesto, watered down in the Integrated Rail Plan, promised again by the previous PM and today withdrawn again. The North deserves much better than being given the run around like this,” he says.
Mr Burnham also says the government needs to ‘guarantee the continuity of our emergency services this winter’ by negotiating ‘practical solutions’ with workers and trade unions.
Reporters Tom Molloy and Alyssa Berry have been gauging reaction to the Autumn Statement from Greater Mancunians here. While Northern Agenda editor Rob Parsons has written about the broken promises over NPR here.
Four identified after mill fire
Four men found dead following a fire at a derelict mill have been officially identified.
Police say Uoc Van Nguyen, Cuong Van Chu, Duong Van Nguyen and Nam Thanh Lee were killed during a fire at Bismark House Mill.
Their remains were discovered at the site of Bismark House Mill, in Oldham - weeks after a blaze broke out last summer.
Greater Manchester Police say eight officers travelled to Vietnam to obtain statements and DNA samples from 18 people across different regions.
A file has now been passed to the coroner and inquests are due to be opened in the coming weeks.
A criminal investigation into the death’s remains open. Two people arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and drugs and organised crime offences remain on bail.
All four men had kept up contact with their families.
Weather etc
- Saturday: Partly cloudy changing to sunny intervals by late morning.
- Trains: Special timetable operating on Transpennine Express due to shortage of train crews. Passengers are advised to check their journey if travelling.
- Avanti West Coast will run one train per hour from London Euston to each of Manchester, Glasgow, and Liverpool on Sunday during strike action. Services to Liverpool will go via the West Midlands due to planned upgrade work by Network Rail.
- Trams: Revised service on Manchester Metrolink due to over running engineering works at Piccadilly Gardens. Some Metrolink services are operating with changes until the end of November.
- Trivia question: When did the Metrolink first start operating?
Manchester headlines
Mottram bypass: Tameside politicians have hailed the approval of the long-awaited Mottram bypass as a ‘great result’. Construction work on the A57 Link Roads bypass is set to begin next year and is due to ease congestion on the busy route between Manchester and Sheffield. Tameside Council leader Ged Cooney said: “This is a great result for Tameside and local residents and businesses. We have for nearly 50 years supported the A57 Link Road project – it will give an improved journey and faster commute times for thousands of road users every day and also lead to additional economic activity in the towns and villages on the current route.”
New homes: Redrow Homes has revealed controversial plans to build a huge 1,500-home estate on green belt land in Rochdale. Submitted papers outline major proposals for a 220-acre site at Stakehill, on the southern edge of the town, near the M62. The plot forms part of the wider Stakehill site included in Places for Everyone - the region’s emerging long term development plan, which is currently undergoing public examination. More here.
Requires improvement: St Joseph’s RC Primary School, in Stockport, has been ordered to improve by Ofsted. The watchdog found children there worked hard, behaved well and felt they were part of a ‘happy family’ - enjoying ‘caring relationships’ with staff. But officials say the school ‘requires improvement’ despite its ‘high expectations for pupils’ work and conduct'. More here.
Legacy: Salford bookie Fred Done has bought a new horse, Playtogetaway, who will run in his blue and green silks this winter. Every penny the Betfred owner earns in prize money will be donated to The Christie Hospital in Manchester, where his late wife, Mo, was cared for before her death in July 2018. Fred says: "I have never owned a horse before but Mo owned several. She loved watching them. She died in The Christie and I need to help look after The Christie. I have bought the horse, which is from Ireland, and when it runs locally I want to be able to give the nurses and staff from Christie a day out to see it ride. I am hoping to do that when it races at Haydock on December 30.”
How things have changed
These images show how the face of Manchester has changed almost beyond recognition in recent years.
Nostalgia reporter Lee Grimsditch has been looking through images taken by the famous Google Street View car to see the long-lost landmarks, shops, and changing skylines through the years.
Worth a read
Londoner David Adewole was made redundant during the pandemic and moved to Manchester for a fresh start.
While working at the Covid test centre at Central Retail Park he signed up for a digital skills bootcamp, tuning into lectures during lunch breaks. He was offered a job as a junior tech consultant and now has a tech job with Deliveroo.
Joseph Timan has been speaking to David about this career change.
That's all for today
Thanks for joining me. If you have stories you would like us to look into, email beth.abbit@menmedia.co.uk.
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The answer to today's trivia question is: 1992.
