MPs and fans' parade fury

Mike Keegan

May 21, 2008

| Submit Comments | Comments (21) | Previous | Next

The victorious Reds on parade in 1999

THE decision not to hold a parade for Manchester United has prompted a furious reaction from MPs and fans.

Many backed a campaign to host a ticker tape event in the city on Thursday if the Reds were successful in Moscow.

A crowd of around 500,000 - similar to that which turned out to salute the 1999 treble winners - was expected to converge on Manchester amid a carnival atmosphere.

But police and council leaders agreed last week not to hold a parade on public safety grounds and because they wanted to avoid further disruption to the city centre in the wake of the Rangers match and the Greater Manchester Run. Since then both Manchester and Trafford councils said publicly they would support a parade but privately no realistic plans have been drawn up and no funding has been offered to the police.

The decision has prompted a furious backlash from Reds fans.

Many claim that the disgraceful behaviour of some Rangers supporters after last week's Uefa Cup Final has influenced the decision.

Blackley MP and keen Red Graham Stringer is one of those.

He said: "When United brought the Cup Winners Cup back in 1991 there was no trouble. When they brought the three trophies back in 1999 nearly half a million came to the city and there were hardly any problems.

Rampage

"The police are being over cautious - because Rangers fans go on the rampage Mancunians should be denied an event by the police in their own city? That is wrong."

Tony Lloyd, MP for Manchester Central, was also disappointed.

He said: "I have a picture on my wall of Sir Matt Busby addressing crowds in Albert Square 40 or so years ago. Manchester United is owned by the people and this would have been a good way of communicating with them.

"If they do win on Wednesday it would have been a celebration with mums, toddlers and granddads all there.

I think even without permission there will be a few car horns blaring and an impromptu parade."

On the Manchester Evening News website other fans blasted the decision.

One wrote: "We're proud Mancs - not Rangers fans and we should have screens to enjoy our final and the open topped bus. Get your act together and get this done."Assistant chief constable Dave Thompson has said that fans' safety was their priority. He added that an event later in the summer was being looked at.

And a police spokesman said: "There was never an event planned for this Thursday. GMP was approached and actively gave its assistance to look at options but no firm plans were ever produced."

You need Flash player 8+ and JavaScript enabled to view this video.

460

275

false

| Submit Comments | Comments (21) | Previous | Next

Showing comments 1 to 21 and replies | View All

Dubai Blue (21/05/2008 at 07:47)

"Manchester United is owned by the people."

Sorry to shatter your illusions, Tony, but no it's not. Do you not remember the laughable and fruitless "Not For Sale" protests?

dessie, manchester (21/05/2008 at 08:20)

WHY NOT KEEP THE PARADES LOCAL!!
I SUGGEST ONE IN TRAFFORD AND ONE IN LONDON!!!

Wor Bobby, Salford Quays (21/05/2008 at 09:18)

What an opportunity to show the world that the Rangers fiasco was not the norm and that Manchester can hold huge events trouble free… It’s the minority who win again… And for the Blue side of Manchester, your team are in Europe next season (honest they are)… I sincerely hope this does not effect any victory parade you may hope for next season… Although I’m sure the police will be able to cope. Time for a lie down now…

Octavius Tinsworth Ace (21/05/2008 at 09:31)

Blimey, is that all you've got, Berties? Are you not getting bored of regurgitating that same "put down" over and over again?

We get it. United are technically in Trafford Metropolitan Borough and have supporters in other parts of the world, including London. Big deal. (By your way of thinking, incidentally, London has absolutely no professional football teams in any league.)

Local Taxpayer, Swinton (21/05/2008 at 09:47)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the majority of these fans pay council tax, which then goes onto the Police budget? Don't some also VOTE in council elections to nominate their local councillors? And aren't both the Police and the Council, OUR SERVANTS? Is this a case of the tail trying to wag the dog?

Joey Barton's Liberty [formerly Scrotnig] (21/05/2008 at 10:07)

Local Taxpayer, I'm afraid in the City Of Manchester the gullible residents keep on voting for this inept city council. Probably because so many of them are on benefits.

Mark, South Manchester (21/05/2008 at 10:17)

The bare faced cheek of local politicians eh? Blaming everyone but themselves again. But that last comment from the GMP spokesmen is telling:- "no firm plans were ever produced."

The city council use to hold FA Cup parades in Albert Square, but along with Piccadilly Gardens - Messrs Stringer, Leese & Bernstein have created a "new city centre" where such parades & large scale events are effectively no longer possible and are indeed prone to crushing as we saw last week & in 1999. (So don't blame GMP or Rangers fans for that!!)

We are no Portsmouth & have no Southsea Common or large scale city centre park! So I say flatten Ancoats Retail Park and create a huge "edge of city" OUTDOOR EVENTS AREA/PARK to put on such parades, celebrations & large scale open air concerts etc. (Just connect it up to that "small scale" urban park they're creating down there already??)

Red Army (21/05/2008 at 10:24)

This is ridiculous, just because a group of drunken Glasgegian idiots wrecked our city, the council think we're going to do the same?!

Its about time the Council and the Police realised Man Utd fans are not to be pigeonholed with the 'Gers. We are proud of our city and our team, is it any surprise at the outrage this decision has caused.

Get it sorted, we want a parade to show our boys how proud we are.

Pentest (21/05/2008 at 10:30)

City of Manchester Tax Payers, the balls in your court now. Come the next council elections, vote this bunch of numb skulls out of office. What have they ever brought the City but discontent. They aren't fit to run the preverbial at a brewery.

Geoff P (21/05/2008 at 10:44)

I'm a Utd fan and was with the Gers last Weds. The only reason for the animosity was the failure of the big screen, followed by total lack of information and then fuelled by an aggressive (pre-emptive?) policing approach. But it all started with appalling pre-event planning.

Richard (21/05/2008 at 10:48)

Why should they have a parade in Manchester when they are not from Manchester but they are from Trafford. And if they want their fans to witness the parade it might be a good idea to have the parade in London

City Of Crime 2008 [formerly Scrotnig] (21/05/2008 at 11:00)

Pentest, as I've said before, you're wasting your time. Too many Manchester residents are either gullible, dependent on benefits, or both.

Why vote out a party that lets you skive on the dole all day and night? They would then have to work for a living and we can't have that.

Nu-Lab will never be voted out here.

MK Red, Milton Keynes (21/05/2008 at 11:16)

I have never been to a United game but would have loved to have travelled up to Manchester to see this parade.
I would have spent money in the Megastore, too, so it would have been good for the club.
In fact, many fans like me who have never been to Manchester before would have plunged millions into the Mancunian economy.

Footballbeganwiththepremiership, Malaysia (21/05/2008 at 12:02)

Please let us have our parade, I have already booked my flights and have even bought the shirt. I will be bringing my son who is a very loyal united fan he has supported them since we won the league so please Trafford council let us have our parade our loyalty deserves it.

ARTHUR BROWNLOW, STOCKPORT (21/05/2008 at 12:11)

Off they go again! City fans come up with the ''original'' united and it's fans aren't from Manchester line!.most of them don't even support THEIR own local sides: many of them come from places like Stockport,Rochdale and Bury,yet have turned their backs on their real local teams and supported a big city club as it gives a better chance of success.
And before they criticise United's overseas fans,remember it's your owner who this week opened a city shop in Thailand-which district of Manchester is that?

bluetony (21/05/2008 at 13:13)

Arthur Brownlow

I hope you're a Stockport County supporter!

the clones cyclone (21/05/2008 at 13:41)

Arthur Brownlow - as usual the arrogance and ignorance of rags fans showing through again. the differnce with City Fans coming from Stockport etc is that Stockport et al are no more than at the most 10 miles away from COMS - UNLIKE thousands and thousands who decend on OT every week from London, Eire, etc etc. Countless residents of places like Stockport were born and raised in MCR and happen to have moved to oulying districts of Greater Manchester unlike the previously mentioned glory hunters who turn up every week with no affinity to the club except attaching themselves to sucess. It was Liverpool in the 70,s & 80's now its United simple as...

Cllr Mike Amesbury (21/05/2008 at 14:08)

As a lifelong red and a United Season ticket holder I would love to see United on a victory parade. Again the above article claims that the decision was in part made by council leaders. This simply is not the case. The decision to hold a parade rests with the club and Greater Manchester Police. The Leader Richard Leese and senior council officers have been crystal clear that if they made a decision to have a parade then we would close the necessary roads, supply barriers and clean the streets after such an occasion.(with smiles on our faces) I hope this at least clarifies the matter.
Cllr Mike Amesbury
newly elected Executive Member for Culture & Leisure

Uncle Buck, Burnage (22/05/2008 at 15:26)

So, Councillor Amesbury, if Stockport get promoted, will you be happy to "close the necessary roads, supply barriers and clean the streets" for them? And if so, where does the money come from? This is nonsense. Let Trafford Council handle it!

MancunianTiger, Radcliffe (26/05/2008 at 15:54)

Take a look at us Tigers fans in Hull. Now THAT is how you party. 100,000 Hull City fans in the centre of Hull just showing Manchester City Council how it can and should be done! See you lot at Old Trafford and City of Manchester Stadium and prepare for a black and amber invasion.

BigK (26/05/2008 at 17:26)

It's a bit like the various parades (Remembrance Day for one) called off because councils won't pay for road closures and police won't pay for policing. It's the Queens Highway for God's sake and you or I or Man U are entitled to walk along it, crawl along it or drive an open top 'bus along it. Just get on with it, do it and I'll bet they police it in the future! There's too much of this Health & Safety malarky.

()

Report

News