World Cup fever is sweeping Manchester city centre — with fans now having the choice of another fanzone to watch England in action.
The Love Factory, on Dantzic Street in Red Bank, can host more than a thousand fans for Three Lions’ matches. For the opening game against Iran, 1,300 people crowded into the 89,000 sq ft (8,268sqm) venue.
Matches are being streamed live on three 200 sq ft (18.5 sqm) screens, and also features unique exhibitions from Classic Football Shirts, interactive activities, street food vendors and exclusive hospitality. It’s just the start of activity at the city’s ‘newest independent cultural venue’, bosses say, which is a temporary venue in Victoria North regeneration plan for a swathe of the city.
READ MORE: World Cup 2022 - where to watch the games in Manchester
“We’re excited to bring this amazing space back into action for the city, with the World Cup acting as a great opportunity for people to see it for the first time,” Olli Ryder, founder of Connecting the Dots, said.
“The site itself is uniquely steeped in the industrial history of Manchester, and will soon be home to an eclectic mix of high energy events, from food festivals and music events to exhibitions and theatre productions. With major broadcasters like Sky Sports already hosting events here, Love Factory is set to be a major addition to the city.”
The early tournament success for Gareth Southgate’s team was marked by schoolchildren from across north Manchester. They included pupils from Saviours CofE Primary School, St Malachy’s Catholic Primary School, and Abbott Community School.
Pupils from the primary schools in Collyhurst were invited to take part in the ‘City of Champions’ event, which saw young football enthusiasts receive free coaching sessions from UEFA-qualified coaches Football Kings, as well as inspirational talks from the founders of Classic Football Shirts and Miss Kick.
You can find more pubs screening the World Cup in your area entering your postcode in the widget below.
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