Man City removes stadium bar worker after arriving in Manchester United shirt on derby day

Manchester City confirmed on Sunday that a stadium bar worker was removed from duty after turning up for a shift at the Etihad Stadium wearing a Manchester United shirt on derby day.

A City supporter posted a photograph on X, formerly Twitter, showing a staff member in block 315 pulling a pint while wearing what the fan described as a United away shirt from the 2019–19 season and wrote: "Absolute joke @ManCity - letting one of the bar staff in block 315 wear a United shirt on Derby Day #mcfc." The club replied to the post, saying: "@Mataniels @ManCity Thank you for making us aware of this. We can confirm that this individual has now been removed from their position."

The incident came shortly before the afternoon Manchester derby and followed the news that former world champion boxer Ricky Hatton, a Manchester City supporter, had been found dead at his home near Manchester earlier that day at age 46. City captain Phil Foden, speaking to Sky Sports before the match, expressed his condolences and said: "My heart goes out to his family at this time. Obviously to hear the news before a big game is devastating and I'm sure he would've been here supporting us. Today is for him and we're going to try to get the win and do the best we can for him. We've got to use it as motivation."

Players from both clubs observed a tribute to Hatton before kickoff, and the stadium erupted into applause. City manager Pep Guardiola was visibly emotional on the touchline. Phil Foden opened the scoring for Manchester City in the first half of the match.

The club has not released further details about the staff member's employment status beyond its reply on social media. The removal followed a swift reaction from supporters on X and demonstrates the sensitivity at high-profile fixtures to visible displays of allegiance by stadium staff.