Andy Burnham Requests 'Manual Trawl' of Records Regarding Manchester City Links

Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, has requested a comprehensive manual review of all records pertaining to his past interactions with Manchester City Football Club. This directive comes as the club faces accusations of systematically violating Premier League rules.

Burnham stated Thursday that he has instructed the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to search all documentation to ensure "full transparency" regarding any connections he may have had with the club during his nearly decade-long tenure as mayor, which concluded in June.

The GMCA released declarations of Burnham's contact with the club on Monday. However, confusion emerged when it was revealed that records of two dinners Burnham attended with Manchester City's chairman had been deleted.

Speaking to reporters, Burnham emphasized his desire for all information to be publicly accessible. "I've asked them to do a more manual trawl of everything, as I want everything possible to be out there," he said. He maintained that the dinners with chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, which took place at matches in 2017 and 2018, were intended to be included in the statement issued by the local authority.

The latest developments follow accusations from political opponents that Burnham was attempting to conceal these meetings. A statement from the GMCA mentioned an informal meeting between Burnham and Al Mubarak at a 2019 match and a formal meeting at the UK Government's Global Investment Summit in October 2021. The statement also noted that Burnham was a guest of Manchester City FC at home matches on a "small number of occasions" in his capacity as Mayor.

Previously, Burnham had declared these hospitality dinners, valued at a combined total of £1,000, during his time as mayor. The scrutiny over these hospitality events has intensified since the club was found guilty of numerous Premier League rule breaches.