I know that we've been told to avoid the City centre but is that really going to happen. We're planning on going down for 2ish and tbh, 99.9% of the fans going couldn't give a rat's @rse about the demo and won't even give it a glance. Saying this... where is everyone going for drinks?

All the city centre bars are shut today by order of Greater Manchester police due to the demo.

We've discussed this before and the consensus was that it is most likely to be an exclusion zone in the Picadilly Gardens area. I find it very hard to imagine every single bar within the huge city centre of Manchester being closed.

Well if you want to drink, you may aswell listen to the advice, cos you "aint getting served". Unless you're planning on going shopping then I suppose it won't matter.

How daft are you? It isn't just about a demo, it's about a whole heap of trouble. 75 were arrested last time these guys clashed. If you want your day ruined by being either beaten up or wrongly arrested or just trapped in a police cordon then go ahead. Meanwhile, fans with brains will avoid the area and have a sup somewhere safer.

I'm obviously not going to have a drink slap bang next to the demo am I? I just find it hard to see that, as the demo is taking place at Picadilly Gardens, they will close the pubs away from here. Down by Oxford Road for instance.
That's where we're planning on going as it on the way to OT.

We was planning on going to pubs on Oxford street cos we was going to go on train but my mate has organised a people carrier so we'll probably go supping around Old Trafford area.

Most likely The Bishop Blaize.

That is certainly what it says on the Saints website about the issue.

We are just going for the easy option of parking at the Lowry Centre and then drinking in the areas surrounding there and on the way to the ground and keeping well away from the City Centre meaning no chance of being involved in what is going on there!

Why is everyone obsessed with drinking anyway?

I have not spent half the week thinking where I am going to drink anyway. Grand Final day is one day that I don't see what getting plastered before the game does for you? (I don't see what getting plastered does for you full stop, but that's for another day..). I've always been lucky with the people around me where I've sat and never had any complete drunks sat close, hopefully I haven't jinxed it, and I'm not sitting next to Mirfieldrhino.

Well said. I just beat you to it but you put it much more eloquently.

At what point did I mention getting plastered. FYI my plans are to have one in the city centre (now on the outskirts of the city centre) have a walk up to OT and have one just outside there. A princely total of oh... 2 pints. Jeez better cut back and half two halves I think. I'll be w@nkered come kick off.

Looks like IWM North for me, pre match, depending when I get to Manchester

I'm not obsessed with it at all, we will enjoy a couple of drinks before we go to the ground as will lots of people. No intention of getting drunk, or being in a state where I don't remember the game!