Manchester City's fans prepare for FA Cup party City are celebrating winning the FA Cup and finishing third in the Premier League
Manchester is preparing for more than 100,000 people to line its streets to witness Manchester City's first victory parade in 35 years.
City are celebrating winning the FA Cup and finishing third in the Premier League.
Albert Square, where the team will begin their open-top bus tour at 1800 BST, will be closed from 1000 BST.
Other roads on the route to Eastlands will be closed later and Metrolink tram services will be partially suspended.
Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester council and a City fan, said: "Today promises to be a fantastic day for City supporters and Manchester as a whole.
"It's right and proper that the council plays its part in marking City's FA Cup triumph."
City manager Roberto Mancini and some of the players will address crowds in front of Manchester Town hall in Albert Square.
The route (approximate times)
Albert Square: 1800 - 1815 BST
Princess St: 1815 - 1830 BST
Portland St: 1830 - 1900 BST
Newton St: 1900 - 1915 BST
Great Ancoats St: 1915 - 1930 BST
Every Street: 1930 - 1945 BST
Ashton New Rd: 1945 - 2030 BST
City of Manchester Stadium: finish
Princess Street will be closed from 1200 BST and Portland Street from 1600 BST, followed by Newton Street at 1800 BST.
Metrolink has announced that no trams will be running to or from Piccadilly or Piccadilly Gardens and St Peter's Square between 1700 BST and 1900 BST.
Bury and Altrincham tram services will operate direct and Eccles services will terminate at Victoria.
The parade will then travel along Princess Street, Portland Street and Newton Street, before heading east along Great Ancoats Street.
The bus will then turn up Every Street before beginning its final approach to the stadium where it is expected to arrive at 2030 BST for a ticketed sell-out firework party.
Roberto Mancini challenges Manchester City owners to keep spending to win Premier League
The 46-year-old manager believes momentum gained by FA Cup win and third-placed league finish will be lost if club's owners do not keep looking to improve the squad
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has insisted the club's owners must keep spending if his side are to build on this season's success with a Premier League title challenge next season.
City finished the Premier League season on a high after their FA Cup final victory over Stoke at Wembley, beating Bolton 2-0 away from home on Sunday to secure third place in the table and automatic qualification for the group stage of the Champions League next term.
This success has come at huge expense to City's wealthy owners, who have invested over £400 million in the playing squad at Eastlands since taking over the club in 2008, and chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak had hinted the club may adopt a more thrifty approach to the transfer market this time around.
But Mancini insists further investment is required if City are to make the next step up and become a dominant force in England and Europe.
"We want to buy more players to improve because we need them,” the Italian told reporters.
“If you look at last year, we were fifth. This year we have bought good players, we are third and we have won the FA Cup.
“You can spend a lot of money, but you are not sure to win. But if you don’t spend, you won’t win.
“If you can buy good players and work hard, you can win."
When asked whether his side were capable of winning the Premier League next year, he replied: “It’s possible we can challenge for the title. Why not?”
Roaring forties! Roberto Mancini sets Manchester City transfer deadline
Roberto Mancini wants Manchester City to bring in their summer transfer targets in the next 40 days.
The City boss has asked the club’s player acquisition group to act fast in bringing in targets such as Udinese’s Chile winger Alexis Sanchez.
Mancini wants to have everyone on board when the Blues gather again in early July for pre-season – and that includes Jerome Boateng, who has been targeted by Bayern Munich.
Mancini was reluctant to discuss targets but said: “There are many players that want to play for City. We have time – 40 days to buy players who can help us to improve.
“We are not close but we are not too far from some of them, but all the clubs want the good players.
“This year we can work in pre-season with our players – last year we didn’t. This is important – to work for a month with the players is vital for the team.
“That is how you build a team. And we will have other players who have just played in the Champions League.”
But Mancini says even he was shocked by the storming finish to the season, Sunday's 2-0 win at Bolton making it four wins – and four clean sheets – on the bounce at the business end of the season.
Victory boosted them level on points with second-placed Chelsea and took them well clear of Arsenal, with whom they had been vying for third.
The Blues boss says his players exceeded expectation by achieving such a high finish – and winning the FA Cup – in their first season together.
And that is why he suggested that last night’s Player of the Year award should have been scrapped – and a Squad of the Year trophy presented to the lot.
“Our first target this season was fourth position and to improve on last year, but the players have been fantastic and did a great job,” he said.
“They won the FA Cup and ended up in second position - Chelsea scored more goals than us but we have the same points.
The Blues finished with a flourish, winning the last four games – all with clean sheets – including the FA Cup final against Stoke and the crunch against Champions League qualification rivals Tottenham.
“In the last 14 days we have played really well.
“The player of the year is difficult. We should really have a Squad of the Year prize because so many players played very, very well.”
Mancini says he will take a well-earned holiday back in Italy before turning his thoughts to next season.
But, after declaring early in the season that he had designs on the title“I came here to win the title but we have to do it step by step.
“It is difficult to win the Premier League title as there are four or five very strong squads.
“But this year we got 71 points, the same as Chelsea and four more than Arsenal, who are one of the top teams in Europe.
“This year we did a really good job. Now I think I need a holiday! I am very tired because we have worked hard and the players also need a break.”
There will be no tricky Champions League qualifier for Manchester City, who ensured their entry to the exclusive club of the group stages by finishing third in the table thanks to a comfortable victory at the Reebok Stadium.
Controversy is never far away but at least Roberto Mancini can tackle the upheaval of the weeks ahead with the comfort of having ended the club's 35-year wait for a trophy with the FA Cup and achieving their highest league finish since 1977.
Striker Carlos Tevez intends to fly home to Buenos Aires today, instead of taking part in Manchester City's open-top bus parade from Manchester Town Hall to Eastlands to show off the FA Cup, which his side won by beating Stoke earlier this month. The decision is likely to lead to a fine of a week's wages and casts further doubt on Tevez's future at the club.
Mario Balotelli to take pet dog to Manchester City's FA Cup parade - report
Mercurial 20-year-old stuns club officials by requesting black labrador Lucky join him on Monday's open-topped bus ride through Manchester to celebrate FA Cup triumph
23 May 2011 09:38:00
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Mario Balotelli will be joined by his pet dog Lucky on Manchester City's FA Cup victory parade on Monday.
City officials were reportedly shocked at the enigmatic frontman's unusual request, but it has nonetheless been granted and Balotelli will now get to celebrate the club's first major trophy in 35 years with his favourite companion.
The young Italian is devoted to Lucky, a black labrador, and had to wait six months to bring his pet over from Italy following his £24 million move to Manchester City because of quarantine restrictions in the UK.
Balotelli visited Manchester dogs home in a bid to replace Lucky when the quarantine issue was raised, but ultimately decided to wait until his faithful friend was allowed into the country.
"I went only once, but I couldn't take one home," he told the Mirror at the time. "I love Lucky too much and it wouldn't be fair when he finally comes over."
This is only the latest bizarre episode in what has been an eventful first season for Balotelli in the Premier League.
Disciplinary problems have led to the young striker's attitude being questioned on numerous occasions, and a lack of fitness and form has so far prevented Balotelli from justifying his hefty price tag, although he did conjure a man-of-the-match display in the FA Cup final victory over Stoke at Wembley. Daily Mirror
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