Skip to main content

Month: March 2019

Football’s safety in jeopardy

Written by James Owen on . Posted in Sport.

On a weekend of football drama that saw both Liverpool and Manchester City win to continue their title aspirations, the results were overshadowed by a trio of incidents that has left football fans, clubs, and officials all asking the same question: Are football grounds safe enough?

In the ninth minute of the Birmingham derby at St Andrews, Aston Villa player Jack Grealish was attacked from behind by a fan who struck him round the head. Grealish – thankfully uninjured – gathered himself and managed to score the only goal of the game. He later described it as the “best day of his life” having captained the Villains, scored the winner, and acted with utmost professionalism.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the only incident of the weekend as Chris Smalling looked to be shoved by a fan during Arsenal’s celebrations for their second goal at the Emirates Stadium. A Hibernian supporter also appeared to push Rangers captain James Tavernier in altercation between the two during a 1-1 stalemate.

England Lionesses coach Phil Neville believes something needs to change before “a player is stabbed or seriously hurt”. His reaction isn’t as extreme as one might think, when you think back to the 1993 stabbing of tennis player Monica Selesin by a fan.

Manchester United captain Ashley Young said: “Whether it’s the FA, the Premier League, or FIFA, something’s got to be done”. And, Rangers head coach Steven Gerrard said he would be fully supportive of withdrawing his players from the field. The FA also responded: “We will be working with the clubs, the leagues and the police to discuss what collectively needs to be done to protect players and officials on the pitch”.

The Professional Footballers’ Association’s (PFA) chief executive Gordon Taylor said there is now “real fear for the safety of players”, whilst former England striker Alan Shearer told Match of the Day 2: “I think we need points deduction or playing games behind closed doors because someone is going to get hurt”.

These acts of violence by fans are not isolated. At the beginning of March Celtic player Scott Sinclair had a glass bottle thrown at him whilst Dele Alli had a similar incident with a plastic projectile back in December. Raheem Sterling allegedly received racist abuse at Stamford Bridge in December.

Authorities will be hoping the punishments they have put in place will be enough to ward off such behaviour. Paul Mitchell, the fan who attacked Jack Grealish, was given a 14-week prison sentence, whilst also receiving a lifetime stadium ban. The other two culprits were also arrested and will no doubt, face some kind of criminal punishment to go along with their lifetime stadium bans.

It is worth noting that these attacks also coincide with concerns about the level of policing at games. Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts, told BBC Sport last year said: “We have fewer police officers in football grounds; clubs are cutting costs for policing and back-filling with stewards who don’t have the same authority.”

It seems inevitable that the authorities will intervene to apply sanctions to clubs. Historically the football authorities have applied heavy sanctions or changes in procedure to avoid incidents happening again. In the 1990-91 season, both Arsenal and Manchester United were docked points and ordered to pay a fine after an on the field brawl between the two sides.

But despite the recent incidents, statistics from the Home Office show that football grounds are now safer than ever with arrest rates steadily declining since the late 1980s. The 2017/18 season hitting an all time low of 3.5 arrests per 100,000 fans. We can only hope that this trend continues as the football authorities look to eradicate the problems that have caused these shocking events over the weekend.

marc@flickr.com

Six Nations: Round 5 Preview

Written by arunvaid on . Posted in Sport.

The conclusion to a gripping Six Nations is almost upon us with England, Wales and Ireland all prepared to do battle to clinch the famous title.

We are set for an intense final round of the tournament with three different nations all in contention for the title.

The match that will have the largest influence on the outcome of the tournament is no doubt Wales vs Ireland, which kicks off at 14.45GMT.

Wales head into the home game at the Principality Stadium knowing that a win will secure them not only the title but also a Grand Slam – something they have not achieved since 2012.

Warren Gatland will take some comfort in the fact that he has led his team through similar situations in his 12 year tenure, with final day Grand Slam victories in front of a home crowd occurring both in 2012 and 2008, beating France on both occasions.

However, a win is certainly not guaranteed as they come up against formidable opposition in the form of Ireland, who are playing off a Grand Slam win last year in which they beat England in the final game.

In order for Ireland to win the Six Nations they must beat Wales and depend on the fact that England lose against Scotland.

Ireland Lock Iain Henderson has outlined the challenge that faces them this week stating that he’s “seen what Wales can do over the last number of weeks” and that they will “have to put in an 80-minute performance, not a 50 or 60-minute performance.”

For Ireland to gain any momentum in this match they will have to rely on the attacking prowess of players such as Jacob Stockdale, who has gained the most metres in the tournament, and the ever-reliable Jonny Sexton to break down the team that has conceded the least tries so far and has built their game on a strong defence.

The mission for England is simple, they must beat Scotland in order to have a chance at winning the title and then they have to rely on other results going their way.

This is a game in which England should be expected to win, with it being 36 years since they Scotland have managed to overturn their old rivals at Twickenham.

With England running out for the latest kick-off of the day they will already know the outcome of the Wales vs Ireland match, with Eddie Jones stating that England “will be interested, that is human nature”.

There is little doubt that the result of the previous games will have a certain effect on the England players prior to kick-off, however they must do their best to block this out and ensure that their big carriers such as Billy Vunipola and lethal finishers in the form of Jonny May are able to put in a big performance come game time.

Scotland have been dealt huge injury blows this week as well with key backs Tommy Seymour and Blair Kinghorn being left out of the squad after their encounter with Wales this weekend.

England will be delighted with this news as winger Blair Kinghorn has had an impressive tournament leading the way in terms of clean breaks and also boasting impressive carrying statistics.

As this Six Nations draws to a close there is no doubt this last round will be watched eagerly throughout Europe as Wales sit in the driving seat hoping for a Grand Slam.

English fans will eagerly be praying that Ireland can cause an upset at the Millennium Stadium which will create an opportunity for them to lift this coveted title, whilst Irish fans all over will be hoping for a famous win in Cardiff and then for Scotland to pull off the unthinkable at Twickenham- this is really not one to be missed.

Photo: Ver en vivo En Directo @flickr

UEFA Champions League round-up

Written by Sam Honey on . Posted in Sport.

It has been a successful couple of weeks in the Champions League for English sides, with all four now through to the quarter-finals, for the first time since 2009.

After the remarkable turnaround achieved by Manchester United in Paris, Tottenham made sure of their aggregate victory against Borussia Dortmund last week away at the German side with a solitary Harry Kane goal.

Heading into the Round of 16, many would have doubted that United and Spurs would overcome two of the competition’s greatest sides in recent years, with United’s accomplished and mature display in the French capital, amid an injury crisis, worthy of praise.

Following those ties, it was the turn of title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City to showcase their credentials in the tournament.

Firstly, on Tuesday night, Manchester City were tasked with seeing through their qualification for the quarter-finals against German side Schalke 04, after they narrowly secured victory in Germany courtesy of two late goals to make it 3-2 on the night.

The Sky Blues faced a Schalke side boasting an array of young talent, incuding Jeffrey Bruma, Breel Embolo, and Salif Sané.

Despite this, there was no chance of an upset on the cards, as Guardiola’s side brushed away the Germans with an empahtic 7-0 hammering, playing football akin to that of Guardiola’s greatest sides, including his legendary Barcelona team of 2009-2011.

The victory had everything typical of comfortable, relaxed second leg, with the tie decided before the 40-minute mark thanks to a Sergio Aguerö brace. The Ethiad even got to witness young sensation Phil Foden register his first European goal with a tidy finish to make it six.

With City completing the tie in such a professinal manner, Liverpool aimed to provide as an emphatic second leg performance in Munich, after a frustrating 0-0 stalemate at Anfield.

The Allianz Arena has been the site of some famous knockout stage performances in recent years, with Bayern’s dispatchings of Arsenal needing no introduction. The 2013 winners are also well-known for home performances against Barcelona and Juventus in 2013 and 2016 respectively.

The game began as a cagey affair, with neither side keen on conceding the first goal of the tie. 

In a game where both sides were far from their best, the away side took the lead 26 minutes in, when Sadio Mane engineered an excellent piece of personal skill to pivot and finish, after Manuel Neuer was left stranded in no man’s land.

The Reds could have doubled their lead courtesy of Andy Robertson, as Neuer repented his first error by keeping his side in the game with a smart save.

Bayern would then be gifted an equaliser on 39 minutes, when after Serge Gnabry surged into the box, Joel Matip inadvertenly turned the ex-Arsenal man’s cross into the back of his own net.

Salah could have put his side back in front at the start of the second half, although his indecisiveness slowed the break and allowed Neuer to make a simple save. 

Liverpool would take the lead again just before the 70th minute mark however, as Van Dijk rose to head home James Milner’s corner, leaving the Reds on the verge of making it into the quarter-finals for the second successive season.

Knowing that Bayern now needed two goals to qualify, Liverpool settled in against their frustrated and panicky opponents, and Mane had his second of the came with six minutes remaining, as he calmly converted Salah’s cross, sending Bayern crashing out.

Liverpool now join their three domestic rivals, in arguably the most interesting quarter-final stage in years.

Elsewhere in the competition, Valverede’s Barcelona were comfortable 5-1 winners against Lyon, while Cristiano Ronaldo produced another Champions League masterclass to turn around Juventus’s 2-0 deficit from their first leg with Atletico Madrid by scoring a second-leg hat-trick.

With PSG, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid all out already, it looks as if Barcelona, Juventus, and Manchester City will count themselves as among the favourites, despite Pep Guardiola’s claim that his side are ‘teenagers’ in the competition. 

The quarter-final draw has been made as follows, and like last year, features an all-English affair:

Ajax vs Juventus

Liverpool vs Porto

Tottenham vs Manchester City

Bracelona vs Manchester United.

Photo: katerw@Flickr

UoM becomes official Living Wage employer

Written by Sam Honey on . Posted in News.

The University of Manchester has become an officially-accredited Living Wage employer, after the pressure of a sustained campaign from students.

By becoming accredited with the foundation, organisations commit to paying its employees a minimum of £9 per hour.

The application came after the Living Wage campaign held an open meeting last November, in which it formally requested that the university would sign up.

The University claims that it already paid staff more than the hourly rate recommended by the Living Wage Foundation (LWF), but claimed that membership offered a host of other benefits, including generous pensions and occupational sick pay.

The University helped LWF reach a milestone, as it became the 5,000th national organisation to be granted Living Wage status.

Mayor Andy Burnham expressed his content that the University had reached LWF status, but was clear that there was more work to do to spread equal pay: “It’s great to see an organisation as high-profile as the University of Manchester become the latest Living Wage employer in the city-region.

“As good as this news is, there are still too many workers who are paid less than the real Living Wage struggling to keep their heads above water. In the North West alone, around a quarter of all workers earn below the real Living Wage, with about 265,000 people in Greater Manchester earning too little to live on.

“In one of the world’s richest nations, it should be a source of national shame that so many working people are worrying about putting food on the table, with some forced to use foodbanks.”

Meanwhile, Vice-Chancellor Nancy Rothwell praised the social responsibility of the University in seeking LWF status.

“Social responsibility is a core goal of our University, and by becoming accredited with the LWF we have a real opportunity to influence policy in a national forum and have conversations about the benefits that good pay and working conditions bring to individuals and wider society.”

Photo: The Mancunion.

The Mancunion’s view on the SU elections

Written by Ethan Davies on . Posted in Opinion.

It’s fair to call the latest Students’ Union (SU) exec officer elections… controversial. For the sake of simplicity, I’ll stick to facts.

Every year, the SU holds elections for the eight exec roles, who are the officers that run the Union. They are mandated to do so by law. This year, four candidates who ran on a joint slate were banned from campaigning in-person due to complaints received by the SU over campaigning tactics, some of which were shared on social media.

The ban was handed down by the returning officer, who is supplied by the NUS – that means the decision to not disqualify those candidates, which some students have called for, is out of the hands of the SU.

At the time of writing, two of those four candidates – Kwame Kwarteng and Rana Phool – won their elections to become SU exec officers for 2019/20. Anas Riaz lost to incumbent Officer Lizzy Haughton, and due to the unprecedented number of complaints about “more than one” candidate in the International Students’ Officer position, the decision was made to delay declaring the winner until 20th March.

On top of that, voter turnout fell by 0.4% from 2018. That means only 19.4% of students voted in 2019 – 7,771 to be exact.

Banned candidates winning, others under investigation, and student voters falling. It’s not a pretty picture. So, what can the student population do?

Well, the good news is that the SU is incredibly well set-up to listen to student feedback through student Senate, held three times per semester. There are two Senate sessions left this academic year, and the next one on 28th March has seen two motions proposed to effectively bar Kwame Kwarteng and Rana Phool from entering office.

The Mancunion is politically independent – so I won’t be using this platform to pass any judgement on what decision should be taken over Kwarteng and Phool. I will use this platform, however, to encourage every student to attend March’s Senate. And the Senate after. And the Senate after that.

In previous years, Mancunion elections headlines have read along the lines of ‘Voter turnout still below 20 per cent in Exec elections’, which was met by the very apathy that created it. This year, our headline read ‘Banned candidates win SU elections’, which was met by the very anger that created it. Manchester now has a hugely unique opportunity in student politics: a wide student body which cares. That’s not to say there has never been a student who’s cared about their politics, it’s to say that these elections have multiplied the number of students who care.

I, as the Editor-in-Chief of The Mancunion now call on you to go to Senate. Express your satisfaction or dissatisfaction at the elections. Do the same thing for the whole of the SU and University.

Rolling your eyes at the introduction of jazz hands doesn’t change anything. Dismissing the SU as ‘shit’ for the latest elections debacle doesn’t change anything. Moaning to housemates about the food choices on campus doesn’t change anything.

The Mancunion says this: It’s time to end the apathy.

The next student Senate meeting is on 28th March at 6pm in the SU Theatre. The final Senate meeting of 2018/19 is on 9th March. You can view the previous meetings’ minutes and upcoming agenda on the SU website.

Photo: kropekk_pl @ pixabay

Rethink modern communication

Written by lilyrosenberg on . Posted in Opinion.

I’ve been told by my parents, my advisors, and especially my lecturers to check my emails religiously. My inbox usually consists of spam, New York Times daily briefings, and relentless retirement emails – which makes me curious about how mailing lists are put together, and why I’m on them.

I delete all of these. The only emails I keep after reading are those from my high-school friend Annie, a medical student in Boston who loves Rocky Horror, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, as well as recalling specific bones of the body among an array of things.

Every Friday, Annie emails out a newsletter named “throwing this into the abyss” to a handful of friends and family around the world. The newsletters cover all aspects of her life – her newest mantra, the latest song she’s listening to, or an overview of her past week.

They are eloquently written, filled with brilliant content, and can make me laugh and cry. These updates are almost like getting a quick coffee with Annie, despite people around the world reading alongside me. I may be biased but these emails give me a new outlook on connection in the modern era.

Despite all the means of communication available to this generation, I feel very disconnected from the world. When I had social media, I felt dejected every time I left the app, criticising myself for my internal comparison to everyone’s lives. Why does this happen? And, am I alone in experiencing this feeling?

When I asked Annie why she started, she simply explained that the newsletters were a “good way to collect my thoughts and stay in touch with my friends across the world.” Yet surely this is exactly the role of social media as well?

In my opinion, the difference is that when I read the newsletter I recognise how much time she has dedicated to it. I feel the thought put in, the energy, the pauses in her writing equivalent to how she would pause during a conversation over a cup of coffee. When I scroll through Instagram, the genuine nature of the content is gone.

After years on social media, my awareness of the addictive qualities of scrolling and tapping through content has since become noticeable for me. Almost like finally finding out that sugar itself has the potential to be as addictive as cocaine. This is something that so many students experience, and yet we do nothing to combat it.

When I went home for Christmas my social media sessions negatively affected my mood to the extent that I removed the apps off my phone for the year. An activity that has since changed my friendships and relationships with people.

I now put time and thought into my relationships – just like Annie with her newsletters. To me, and hopefully to others, FaceTime and phone-calls are still instrumental to how anyone keeps touch. However for me now, the important thing is to reinvent the way we use these new technologies that we have.

I’m not suggesting that everyone starts writing newsletters because, let’s be honest, no one has the time to read about everyone’s lives. I am not even proposing people leave social media, I am talking about looking at the means of connection in new ways.

Instead of emails from mailing lists, perhaps it would be nicer to have an inbox filled with messages from friends.

Motown The Musical Photo: @Tristram Kenton

Review: Motown The Musical

Written by Jay Darcy on . Posted in Theatre.

I’ve been listening to Motown for years, but this musical was not merely a flashback to my childhood. Rather, it made me feel nostalgic for a time I never knew. A time of horrors and hardships for people of colour, yes, but also of happiness and hope. Music was used to fight for a place in society, and it is through music all people find love and joy. The magic of Motown was how it appealed to mass audiences, and why decades later, it continues to be loved.

The show’s many set pieces were bright but never too grand. Instead, ‘Motown The Musical’ relied heavily on projections and animation; the plain set pieces allowed this to be achieved with ease. Simple things stood out, for instance, when a painter ‘spray painted’ a letter onto a sign, but the letter’s emergence was actually part of the animation. These small attentions to detail showed how much thought went into this production.

One of the greatest design elements was the costumes: so much glitz and glam! The replicas of iconic Motown outfits, such as Diana Ross’ puffy red gown and young Michael Jackson’s purple suit, were astounding and helped make the show feel like a trip down memory lane.

Standout performances included Stooshe’s Karis Anderson as Diana Ross, though her vocals were perhaps too good for Ross’ delicate voice, and Yami Mirazi, who played young Berry Gordy. The script, concerning Motown’s founding by Berry Gordy (played by the brilliant Edward Baruwa) and its stellar success, was good but not incredible; having to get through 26 years in two hours is difficult and felt rushed at times. However, I imagine few people went for the story anyway; they went to immerse themselves in Motown’s magic, for Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and The Temptations (especially ‘My Girl’ and ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours’).

 

Photo: @Tristram Kenton
Photo: @Tristram Kenton

Given the musical’s book is by Berry Gordy himself, it’s no surprise Motown’s dark-side is dismissed. For instance, Gordy’s second wife admitted to working as a prostitute when things got rough; she even alleged Gordy was a pimp and Motown was funded with prostitution money, not a loan from Gordy’s father.

Then there is the fall of Motown’s ‘First Lady’, Mary Wells at the height of her career. Following ‘My Guy’, Wells left Motown for a better deal; the musical portrays this as the ultimate betrayal, where Wells bites the hand that feeds her. Wells was actually having problems with Motown over the recording contract she signed as a minor, and, upon leaving, willingly lost all future royalties from her past work; it was about freedom, not fortune. There were also rumours that Gordy threatened to sue radio stations that played Wells’ new music. She unsurprisingly never found great success again.

Lastly, let’s not forget The Supremes, whose original lead, Florence Ballard, was pushed aside in favour of the more photogenic, likeable and light-skinned Diana Ross, Gordy’s lover. Whilst ‘Motown The Musical’ shows Gordy finding it difficult firing Ballard, it’s known Motown was training her replacement months before firing her, and the script does not even care to acknowledge Ballard’s post-Supremes hardships and premature death.

All-in-all, ‘Motown The Musical’ was a blast. With a political backdrop of the civil rights movement, even ending the first act with the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., and a grand total of 66 Motown songs, this is a vibrant, touching and passionate musical that will make you wish you were born decades earlier.

Photo: ilovetheeu @ Wikimedia Commons

Manchester MPs stand firm on Brexit amid government chaos

Written by Sam Honey on . Posted in News.

MPs from across Greater Manchester have once again re affirmed their opposition to a No Deal Brexit and Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement.

The government was defeated by 391 votes to 242, as the Prime Minister sought a fresh consensus on her deal, having secured concessions with the EU earlier the same day.

May’s revised deal was voted down with a substantial revolt in her own party, led by notorious backbencher and Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg. Despite this, three Labour party MPs supported the government.

MPs have also voted for the possibility to extend Article 50, delaying Brexit, and further expressed discontent at the possibility of a second referendum, in a non-binding vote.

On the 13th March, the Conservatives suffered another crucial setback as Parliament expressed their opposition to a No Deal Brexit in a non-binding vote, that passed by 321 to 278 votes.

It leaves the Prime Minister compromised, with the chance of a substantially-altered deal with the EU being in place by the 29th March unlikely. Senior EU officials have also made it clear that the ball is now back in the government’s court.

An extension of Article 50 now seems a serious possiblity, with Brexiteers and Remainers alike united by their dissatisfaction of the current deal, albeit for it different reasons.

MPs from across Greater Manchester were once again highly critical of the status of the Prime Minister’s deal as it was presented to parliament.

The only two MPs from the area that supported the government’s deal were notorious 1922 committee chief Graham Brady, and Cheadle MP Mary Robinson, who backed her party despite opposing Brexit ahead of the 2016 referendum.

MPs for the university districts of Manchester Central, Manchester Gorton, and Withington, Lucy Powell, Afzal Khan, and Jeff Smith respectively, all opposed May’s re-negotiated terms.

Rebecca Long-Bailey, representing Salford and Eccles, was also in oppositon to the agreement, while Independent Group member Ann Coffey voted the same way.

The Mancunion has previously reported on the continued anti-Brexit stance of a majority of the region’s MPs , with the impact of a poorly-coordinated Brexit potentially disatrous with the city, which is a major hub of economic activity, three universities, all of which rely on the Erasmus scheme and the EU for research funding. 

Fresh warnings were also given last week about the concerning impacts of a No Deal Brexit in Manchester, that reportedly could include serious effects for the airport, one of the UK’s busiest.

An extension to Article 50 now seems to be the logical choice for a number of MPs, as chaos mounts ahead of the 29th March deadline, with no deal acceptable to parliament likely to be achieved.

 

 

Photo: DerHexer@Wikimedia Commons

Ronnie’s 1000 up

Written by Harry Deacon on . Posted in Sport.

In a question about snooker, the general answer is Ronnie O’Sullivan. There’s no doubt about it, the man is a genius with a cue at his fingertips.

The 43-year-old made 1,000 career centuries in his recent 10-4 Players Championship final victory over Neil Robertson.

For those who don’t rigorously follow snooker, O’Sullivan’s 1,000th century puts him 225 centuries ahead of his nearest challenger, Stephen Hendry.

The five-time world champion stated: “it’s a special moment with the crowd. You never know what to expect and I’ve never had that before, everyone cheering every ball as it was going in towards the end.”

The snooker legend went in to the match knowing he needed three centuries to reach four figures, something he achieved in a rather cool style.

The Englishman gave the crowd at Preston Guild Hall something to remember as he switched his cue to his weaker hand before rolling the red into the pocket.

It seemed to be a day for milestones, as Ronnie was taking part in his 50th career final, making him arguably the most experienced man in the history of snooker.

Sullivan went 4-0 up in the final, before Robertson managed to make a frame back. The next two frames, however, belonged to the man of the day.

O’Sullivan fittingly managed to round off the match with his 1,000th century, winning the 35th title of his career in the same place that he won his very 1st.

For some reason, the snooker star took up an Australian accent for most of his recent interviews, and so he left us with his reaction to the achievement in the phrasing: “That was fantastic, mate, and something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

Photo: Валерий Дудуш Wikimedia Commons

Manchester City in seventh heaven

Written by Harry Deacon on . Posted in Sport.

Manchester City went one better than six of the best as they eased through their Champions League last 16 tie against Schalke 7-0.

A strong City line-up included Aguero, Sterling, and both Silvas as they showed no intentions of keeping one eye on the Premier League title race.

Guardiola’s men went into the second leg 3-2 to the good after a captivating first leg in Germany. The Citizens went into the second half 2-1 down against their struggling German advisories, and an Otamendi red card seemed only to make things worse. However, two late goals made sure the Premier League leaders were well poised for the home tie.

Led by Aguero, Man City showed they meant business, going 1-0 up within 35 minutes and doubling the gap just three minutes later. Aguero’s brace was soon added to by the extremely exciting talent that is Leroy Sane.

With a 6-2 aggregate lead one would be forgiven for thinking City would ease up on their opponents. That was not the case, goals from Raheem Sterling and Bernado Silva soon put the Premier League champions firmly out of sight.

Home-grown star Phil Foden grabbed himself a goal before Gabriel Jesus rounded off the scoring to leave the aggregate score-line a rather emphatic 10-2.

With City safely through to the quarter finals of the Champions League, and already having the League Cup under their belt, dreams of an infamous quadruple are not out of the question.

The strength and depth of the Manchester City squad, and the talent it has both on the pitch and on the side-lines certainly help promote the case of a quadruple.

However, with tough games against Tottenham and Manchester United in the Premier League, as well as a possible slip up at Swansea in the FA Cup, the season is far from over.

Guardiola is used to making history, and the quarter final draw on March 17th will make for very interesting reading.

Photo: Tumisu @pixabay

New mental health taskforce created to support students

Written by Josh Sandiford on . Posted in News.

A new taskforce to support students adjusting to university life has been set up by the Education Secretary.

The Education Transitions Network, which is supported by leading organisations, will look at how students moving to university can be better supported in the first year of their studies.

The new taskforce will develop measures to help students make a smooth transition into higher education and maintain good mental health. Those currently on board include UCAS, the National Union of Students, Student Minds, Universities UK, and the Office for Students.

Last week, the largest ever student mental health poll revealed that the number of university students suffering from mental health problems is at an all-time high.

There is already work underway across the higher education sector to improve support for student mental health, with the Department for Education identifying four areas of risk that can affect the mental health of young people going to university.

The four key areas include independent living, independent learning, relationships, and wellbeing. Students attending university will likely have to manage their finances for the first time, make new friends and can sometimes be vulnerable to loneliness and isolation.

The Education Transitions Network will also include the Association of Colleges and Sixth Form Colleges Association to ensure that schools and colleges play a vital role in preparing students for the new difficulties they can face when they start university.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds said: “Going to university should be a positive, life-changing experience. Understandably for many young people, the idea of leaving home and starting to live independently can be exciting but also daunting.

“Juggling challenges like independent studying or managing finances can be hard enough, but with the added element being in a new place, surrounded by new people, it can for some be overwhelming. We need to make sure students have the support they need to thrive at university and help these really be the best days of their life.”

In December, the Education Secretary wrote to the chair of an expert panel convened by Universities UK to urge that it did all in its power to help higher education institutions do more to reach out to students’ emergency contacts when it is clear that it is in the best interests of a student’s health.

A network was first announced last year by former Universities Minister Sam Gyimah as part of a range of measures to improve student mental health support, including the development of a University Mental Health Charter led by Student Minds, which will reward institutions that deliver improved student mental health outcomes.

Rosie Tressler, CEO of Student Minds, said: “We often hear from students and in our research that times of transition can significantly impact student wellbeing throughout their university experience. We therefore welcome the work of the Education Transitions Network, in enabling further collaborations in this space.”

Photo: Alexander P Kapp @ Wikimedia Commons

UK’s first medicinal cannabis clinic to open in Greater Manchester

Written by Lucy Menage on . Posted in News.

On the 9th March the UK’s first medicinal cannabis clinic opened at The Beeches Consulting Centre in Manchester.

The clinic located in Cheadle, will be led by pain specialist Dr David McDowell and consultant neurologist, Professor Mike Barnes, who will act as clinical director.

From 1st November 2018 clinicians have been able to prescribe medicinal cannabis products for patients in specialised circumstances.

Each case will be decided upon individually and cannabis will only be prescribed when a patient has a clinical need that cannot be helped by other medications.

The new law does not limit the type of conditions that can be treated by medicinal cannabis and approval from an expert panel is no longer required.

Professor Mike Barnes helped to secure the first cannabis licence for Alfie Dingley who suffers from severe epilepsy.

Professor Barnes highlighted the importance of the new clinic: “Patients suffering from chronic pain and other serious neurological or psychiatric conditions have been crying out for this kind of life-changing treatment.

“This clinic will represent a lifeline to those who have found other treatments ineffective. This also brings the UK into line with other countries when it comes to pain management.

“The hope is that over time patients all around the country and not just in Manchester will have access to the relief that they need.”

The clinics prices start as £200 for a consultation and a private monthly prescription ranging from £600-£700.

Medicinal cannabis will provide new hope for sufferers of chronic pain such as 32-year old Forzana Nasir who suffers from Ehlers Danlos Syndrome: “Having access to this medicine allows me to ease my chronic pain which turns an unbearable day into a manageable day. It has been life-changing for me. I was almost bedbound before this and now I have much greater quality of life.

“It is so important that other patients in the UK who are suffering can have the same opportunity. This clinic opening is a significant step forward for healthcare in this country.”

Photo: Broady @ flickr

Police ‘undercounting’ masks true extent of Greater Manchester’s knife crime issue

Written by Emily Broncz on . Posted in News.

The issue of knife crime in Greater Manchester is worse than originally thought, after the discovery of blades hidden in walls as well as statistical errors in Greater Manchester Police’s (GMP) database.

GMP revealed that the issue developed from the way in which weapons were logged into their system, leading to a ‘technical issue’.

GMP stated that, due to these inconsistencies, a problem of ‘undercounting’ had evolved. The issue has affected figures collected before December 2017, but the true extent of the error is currently unknown.

The Home Office had advised GMP to ignore rectifying the data and instead start fresh, due to the amount of time it would take to correct.

3,596 incidents have been reported in the past 12 months leading up to February 2019, meaning that GMP have been handling an average of ten incidents a day.

Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) Wasim Chaudhry acknowledged the fact that GMP had falsely documented information, but offered reassurance that action was being taken to rectify their mistakes: “As of December 2017, we revised how we record knife crime offences and are now confident that we are now recording all crimes correctly.

“We are however confident that we understand the scale of the knife crime issue in Greater Manchester, but intend to carry out more analytical work in the coming months to further tackle to issues at their root cause.”

GMP are also reaching out to their followers on social media as part of Operation Scepter, a national week of action against knife crime.

GMP shared pictures of unsuspicious public places, asking followers to “spot the knife” in the image.

The campaign has been created after police intelligence has uncovered how criminals have been hiding weapons in easily reachable spaces, creating danger to members of the public.

Rob Potts commented on the issue, voicing the aims of GMP: “The more knives that are on the streets only leads to one outcome – more people getting hurt – and we are determined to act to stop these implements getting into the wrong hands.”

Photo: paseidon @Pixabay

Court finds government Prevent duty guidance unlawful

Written by Rona McCann on . Posted in News.

Prevent guidelines on inviting controversial figures to speak at universities have been declared to violate freedom of speech laws, an appeal court has ruled. The guidelines must now be rewritten.

The guidelines were said to be unbalanced, and lacked the accuracy needed to abide by universities’ obligation to both allow freedom of speech and prevent students from being drawn into terrorism.

The language used in the Prevent guidance was said to be “trenchant” by the appeal’s chief judges, who continued that the language “is not only intended to frame the decision of [universities] on the topic in question, it is likely to do so.”

A more balanced guidance that better fits the Secretary of State’s true aims of Prevent “would be very easily achievable”.

The ruling is part of a judicial review by Dr Salman Butt, a prominent Muslim writer and publisher who has in the past been accused of being a non-violent extremist. Butt brought forward his case against Prevent duty guidance after the comments were by made in a Downing Street press release announcing the publication of an updated version of the guidance.

The release stated that Butt had been identified by the Home Office’s Extremism Analysis Unit as a speaker who was “on record as expressing views contrary to British values”.

Butt claimed that as a direct result of the accusation, he had stopped receiving invitations to speak at universities.

His solicitor dubbed the ruling against the Prevent guidance as an important victory, which enables claims that it is too narrow, too prescriptive, and restricts free speech to be heard.

Prevent is a part of wider government strategy against terrorism, aimed at stopping people from being radicalised, with a focus on non-violent extremism. Prevent guidance defines extremism as “vocal or active opposition to fundamental ‘British values’, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs”.

Butt has expressed his concern over how Prevent duty guidance may affect people in more everyday situations, by saying “I haven’t had any other problems ever. At borders and stuff, they just let me through.

“I think if you just stand up and challenge something, they let you go. It’s the poor guys who just keep their heads down that keep getting hassled by Prevent. I think that’s what Prevent relies on; people just not knowing their rights.”

University sport round-up: Men’s football take home Northern Plate

Written by Ethan Davies on . Posted in Sport.

The University of Manchester men’s football 4th team are Northern Conference Plate winners.

Defeating the University of Bolton 1st team 2-0 in Sheffield, the win caps a memorable season for the 4th team. With 64 teams in the competition, Manchester’s run in the plate included a 6-1 thrashing of Sunderland in the opening round, a dramatic 3-2 win away at Leeds Trinity, and a 2-1 home victory over York St John in the semi-finals.

On the other end of results spectrum, the women’s Rugby Union 2nd team were on the wrong end of a 118-0 loss to local rivals Salford – leaving Manchester 7th of 9 in the Northern 3A table.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom for Rugby Union however, as the men’s 1st team defeated Sheffield 32-7 and then Glasgow in two top-of-the-table North B clashes, meaning they sit in second place, only four points behind the Yorkshire side, in the league and have a game in hand.

In the local derby, the women’s hockey 5th team cruised past Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) 3rd team with a 2-0 win. In the men’s fixture, Manchester put six goals past MMU as the 4th team beat MMU’s 2nd team 6-0.

The women’s lacrosse 2nd team also handed a sorry Bangor 1st team a 15-1 drubbing last Monday, 11th March. Another Bangor drubbing came from men’s basketball 2nd team, as they defeated the Welsh university’s 1st team 106-51.

Another basketball drubbing came from men’s 3rd team, who defeated Bolton 1st team 72-53.

With such a wide range of results, Manchester currently sit 17th in the overall BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) table, with 1393.5 points. 1083.5 are those are league points, 199 are cup, and 111 are individual. Hot on Manchester’s heels are are the University of Sheffield with 1365.5, who are followed even more closely by Cardiff Metropolitan with 1359.5. Manchester are in pursuit of Swansea University, who have some 50 points more than the Purple Pride, having won 1454 points so far.

Photo: UoMSalcStudents @Twitter

Students go on school strike for climate change

Written by laurafinn on . Posted in News.

Youth 4 Climate Change Strike: UK students took to the streets on March 15th to protest climate change.

Students from across the UK took a day off school this Friday to march in protest of climate change.

Following the action taken in February by 15,000 students from across the UK, the Youth Strike 4 Climate change aims to pressure government to take immediate action on climate change.

With a predicted 64 UK towns and cities having taken part, the influence of Greta Thunberg, a 16 year old climate activist in Sweden appears to be widespread, seeing to both school and university students getting involved.

Thunberg’s influence is not just confined to the UK with plans for further demonstrations worldwide to campaign for action against climate change.

In conversation with the Evening Standard, young activists have discussed the “alarming lack of leadership on climate change” by the government in previous years.

Succeeding the UN Report published in 2018 which claimed there were only 12 years left to prevent the disasters of climate change including severe flooding and heatwaves, students have released a steadfast letter stating: “We are going to change the fate of humanity, whether you like it or not.”

Noga Levy-Rapoport, a 17-year-old student from Hammersmith in speaking to Future London pointed to the need for solidarity and signalling urgency to government with regards to climate change. She stated “This is important in terms of a show of solidarity and sending a signal. We are here to make our voices heard and we are not going to stop until you listen to us”

Students are calling for the UK government to put in place a plan reflective of the Green New Deal as suggested by Ocasio-Cortez in the US as a means of combatting air pollution and global warming.

A student from Truro, Rosie Smart-Knight has highlighted further the sense of urgency among young people concerning climate change: “There were so many young children there (in February) who understood what was going on. It was quite heart breaking how many understood what was at stake” .

Many education leaders, including Education Secretary, Damian Hinds, have warned students they should not miss lessons to take part in the strikes. Those against the protest include Theresa May who claims “they [students] are wasting lesson time.”

Despite this, parents are strongly supporting this protest. Climate Change Minister, Claire Perry, said that she would have been tempted to join the strike if she was a school child.

The strike takes place less than a fortnight before Greater Manchester’s Mayor, Andy Burnham, holds a summit to mobilise the city region around a carbon neutrality target of 2038 – which some strikers feel is inadequate.

Photo by David Edgar @Wikimedia Commons

Burnham calls on government to sustain funding for cycling and walking

Written by Josh Sandiford on . Posted in News.

Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, has called on the government to provide a ‘sustained funding stream’ for cycling and walking during an evidence session with the Transport Select Committee in Manchester.

Alongside Olympic cycling champion, Chris Boardman, who also serves as Manchester’s Cycling and Walker Commissioner, the mayor said that cycling and walking to be a given a similar status by the government as the investment in roads.

Asking for cycling and walking to be given the same status by the Department for Transport as roads investment, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “Successive Governments have treated cycling and walking as an afterthought. This cannot continue at a time when we’ve got congested roads, polluted air and high levels of physical inactivity.

“Greater Manchester made the bold decision to spend £160 million on cycling and walking to kick-start our plans for the UK’s largest cycling and walking network. There is a huge appetite to deliver these plans but we now need Government to show the same ambition and put in place a consistent national funding stream for cycling and walking.”

Currently, around 1% of the Department for Transport’s budget is allocated to cycling and walking.

In June last year, Greater Manchester unveiled a £28m cycling network, called ‘Beeline’ routes. Many students at the University of Manchester use the cycle lanes separated from the motor traffic to get to university, although there have been reports of students being cut off by buses that have overtaken them and proceeded to stop to pick up passengers.

The Mayor and the Commissioner also told the Committee that there should be a government requirement that, where possible, cycling and walking infrastructure is included as part of any new transport infrastructure, such as the building of new roads or junctions.

Chris Boardman said: “This isn’t about people riding bikes, it’s about creating healthier, better places to live, more economically-robust areas, revitalising town centres, and giving people a real and attractive alternative to driving. By the government’s own calculations, money invested in enabling people to cycle and walk is the most efficient transport spend that a nation can make. I just don’t understand why the penny hasn’t dropped yet.”

Photo: University of Leeds

Lower tuition fees threaten number of university places

Written by joehurdman on . Posted in News.

The Russell Group have released a statement claiming that the amount of admissions to university could shrink if tuition fees are reduced.

The current annual fee of £9,250 is expected to fall to £7,500 following a review of higher education funding in England commissioned by Theresa May last year.

Universities have warned that if the government does not provide compensation to make up the loss in income they might be forced to reduce the amount of students taken on.

Non-STEM subjects could likely be hit hardest due to guarantees on courses such as maths, engineering, and medicine.

According to the Russell Group, income from tuition fees and grants is already below lab-based subjects’ teaching costs, meaning any reduction in income could lead to a tightening of belts for universities.

The University of Manchester is also part of the Russell Group. Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell earns £263,431 a year. Such a reduction in admittance to the University without greater government spending would surely affect income.

Moreover, the £75 million refurbishment of Owens Park, and the nearly completed Unsworth Park accommodation, are both being scheduled to open for the start of the 2019-20 academic year.

“There is only so much teaching we can provide at a loss. Of course we want to see science, engineering, and maths protected, but linguists and economists are vital for the economy too,” said Koen Lamberts, who earns £426,589 a year as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield.

“I don’t think Whitehall should get into this level of workforce planning and indirectly tell universities which subjects we should and shouldn’t teach.”

Many universities argue that they have a vital role in the UK economy, leading to calls for greater government control. This framing of the argument over which courses universities should provide, rather than the money paid in salaries or put into building investments, has been seen as universities attempting to pressure the government into maintaining profit margins over education or research.

 

Photo: Rosie Plunkett

Art in Mancunia: Rosie Plunkett

Written by Bella Jewell on . Posted in Arts.

Rosie Plunkett, a second year photography student at MMU Art school, is stepping outside her comfort zone in her latest project. As an artist who usually focuses on human subjects, she decided to try her hand at the sort of landscape photography she loves, and the result is hauntingly beautiful.

Following a University brief to create a book of their chosen subject, Plunkett chose to tackle a harrowing catastrophe, an incident she describes as a famous “case of exploitation and neglect that ended in tragedy.” The event in question is the 2004 Morecambe Bay cockling disaster; an appalling accident in which 23 illegal Chinese immigrants drowned in the fast-rising evening tides whilst collecting cockles. The group had been imported in containers to Liverpool in a clandestine operation and were then hired out via local criminal branches of international Chinese crime syndicates.

Working for inhumanely low wages – £5 per 25kg of cockles collected – the group were caught out by the unfamiliar tide pattern, only for local emergency services to find a gruesome case of mass drowning and hyperthermia.

Plunkett expresses her “passion” for the project, given her “personal connection to the Morecambe Bay landscape.” In this way, she seeks to “challenge [her] personal relationship to this landscape and make [her] re-evaluate [her] feelings towards it.” The intriguing aspect of her work is portraying “how we can have such a harmonious relationships with such beautiful landscapes… when for others it is the most disastrous place on earth?”

Indeed, her monochrome photographs capture the harsh coldness of the scenery whilst simultaneously evoking a peaceful stillness.

The artist describes how she is still wrestling with certain questions: “How can these relationships exist within the same space and how does that, in turn, affect the way that we view it? How do the landscape and the people who inhabit it change after events like this?”

Plunkett’s work constructs a perplexing dichotomy that is often overlooked; the synonymy of a space with the past and future tragedies contained within it. As inhabitants of Manchester, the home to several horrific tragedies, ranging from the Peterloo Massacre of 200 years ago, to the IRA bombing of the last century, and the Manchester Arena attack of recent memory, do we need to re-examine our personal understanding of our shared space?

Photo: Duncal Hill @Wikimedia Commons

Artefact of the Week: The Manchester Bee

Written by Anja Samy on . Posted in Arts.

A swarm of worker bees cover our city. From street signs to paving slabs to the Manchester University crest, the Manchester Bee is everywhere. But how many of us really know the history behind the bee?

The Manchester Bee, or Worker Bee as it is also known has been a motif for the city since the Industrial Revolution.

In 1842 the city council incorporated a bee into the Manchester coat of arms as a symbol of the city’s resilience and work ethic. Manchester at the time was a hive of activity with countless mills and factories.

Though many of Manchester’s historic mills have since found new uses as flats and office blocks, the bee lives on. The symbol features on a number of key buildings across the city, as well as on manhole covers and notably every bin in the city centre.

The rights to the symmetrical, 2D image that we know and love are held by the Manchester City Council but the image is free to use under certain conditions, and can be seen on posters, t-shirts, and tote bags in every corner of the city.

The sentiment of the bee, however, lives on in current legislation. According to Manchester.gov, percentage of any profit generated on items featuring the Bee must be given to one of the following charities:

  • We Love Manchester Emergency Fund
  • The Lord Mayor Charity Appeal Trust – We Love MCR
  • We Love MCR Memorial Fund
  • Big Change

Three bees even feature on the University of Manchester crest. According to the university, the Manchester Bee “represents the city’s innovative and enterprising past.”

The power of the Manchester Bee as a unifying symbol was demonstrated after the 2017 terror attack when local tattoo artists founded the Manchester Tattoo Appeal. In a bid to raise money for the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing, thousands of people in Manchester and around the world opted to be tattooed with the bee. The appeal raised more than £520,000 in less than a month.

Sir Richard Leese, Head of Manchester City Council, said: “The Manchester Bee has come to represent the best of Manchester […] In one small image, the unity, solidarity and resilience that prevailed across the city in the days after 22 May is embodied.”