Appeal for World Cup big screen PLUS latest from Russia
COUNCIL SAYS ANY PUBLIC EVENT MUST BE BOOZE-FREE AND PAID FOR
MANCHESTER council has no plans for a big screen to show England’s World Cup quarter-final against Sweden – unless someone else pays for it.
Booze-fuelled trouble which left 40 people injured when the 2006 World Cup game between England and Paraguay was played on a big screen in Exchange Square in the city centre prompted council leaders to call a halt to such events unless they are alcoholfree.
And to make an event alcohol-free requires stewarding to ensure fans don’t smuggle in beer – and the council won’t dip into its coffers to pay for security.
Other cities including Newcastle and Brighton have organised fanzones where supporters can enjoy the games.
But Manchester hasn’t got one and won’t get one unless someone pays for one. Both the Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, and city entre supremo, Pat Karney, have appealed for sponsors to come forward to pay for the stewarding that would allow a dry big screen showing in time for Saturday’s crunch clash against Sweden.
Coun Karney said: “At Exchange Square there were problems with crowd behaviour because of alcohol.
“We will do it but it needs to be alcohol-free and that needs security to check people going in.
“We are up for it if we can get somebody in Manchester, some business or corporation, to sponsor it to help with the security cost. The only way we would go forward with this is if it is alcohol-free. We can’t have the problems we had in Exchange Square.
“I’ve had ten people coming up to me saying are we going to do it for the weekend. People are really looking forward to it. Manchester has gone World Cup crazy. The atmosphere is really at fever pitch around the city. But we won’t go ahead unless it’s alcohol-free because our experience with these big events is that it has to be alcohol-free.”
Mayor Burnham told BBC Radio Manchester: “The council doesn’t necessarily have money to throw at something like that at the moment. I’ve raised this with Coun Pat Karney because Pat does a brilliant job in bringing things into Manchester city centre. He was saying that a call had gone out last week for a sponsor. If a sponsor’s prepared to step forward and help with the cost, or maybe a group of sponsors, a group of city centre businesses, I know that Pat would be willing to sit down and see if we can make this happen.
“I think that’s the right thing to do, the city council just can’t throw money at something like this, but Pat’s ready to speak to people if they’re going to come forward and help us put this on. I would put that call out today – come and help us do it.”