'This Greater Manchester town is underrated

'This Greater Manchester town is underrated - and they're stuck with us'

For fans of the beautiful game, the Classic Football Shirts shop is paradise.

Shirts of every team, colour, and size are in abundance. From garish 90s goalie kits, to chic Italian icons, the store has it all.

It all started in Fallowfield, more than a decade and a half ago, and has since grown to a Deansgate location, plus another premises in London. That’s alongside a huge online emporium.

In the centre of all this is Josh Phillips. The Mansfield Town fan has called Salford home since 2017, and has a very refreshing view of the city.

The 24-year-old wants to improve public transport here, and has an unlikely contender for his favourite Greater Manchester area. Here’s what makes him tick…

Where’s your favourite hidden gem?

Arndale Market, it’s that perfect spot for food in Manchester that we don’t really have [anywhere else]. It’s not for the big chains, it’s for the world foods that aren’t quite big enough to sustain their own restaurant, but they have their own enclave of interesting flavours.

They probably couldn’t afford a bigger space, but they’re amazingly busy there. It’s a flavour of something different.

What’s your favourite view of the city or in the city?

High up in Derbyshire, when you’re about 25 miles away. When you’re down here, on Deansgate, you think everything is so close together. I went up [to the hills] the other day, and it looks like a proper city. It’s crazy.

Where’s best to go for your dinner in town?

It will be a cop out to say Arndale Market, just don’t go when it’s too busy.

What’s your favourite stall in the Market?

Hong Thai is really good, and I really like Bollywood Dhaba, but I also really like Zorbas — Cypriot food.

Where would you take someone to show them the real Manchester?

I would like to say Northern Quarter, but I know that’s the fictionalised, TV set of Manchester. Real Manchester is probably seen by taking someone down for a walk into Salford, along Chapel Street, then back into the city centre.

For me, that’s a mix of everything. You get the Deansgate towers in the distance, you get train stations like Deansgate and Oxford Road, and you get a slice of Salford which is a bit more ‘real’ Manchester.

Josh is a big fan of Salford (Manchester Evening News)

What’s your favourite Mancunian neighbourhood?

On the whole, Bolton is underrated. I think it’s pushed off as just as an offshoot. It is part of Greater Manchester, however much they’d like to be part of Lancashire. They’re stuck with us.

I also like Ancoats, I run by the canals. I really like Salford. I’ve lived there for five years, I love it.

What are the five words that best describe the city?

Changing, contrasts, uniquely themselves, there’s still something to be found here, and it’s made up of contradiction.

City or United?

City.

Liam or Noel?

Noel.

Your favourite city pub is…?

The Kings Arms. I have been there on many, many nights, because the drummer in my band is one of the barmen there — we’re thankful that we’re mates with the people who’ve run it, so we’ve put nights on there, and recorded an album in the theatre upstairs.

It’s quality. It’s everything you want in a space. That’s the best of Manchester.

What’s the one change you'd make to Manchester if you could…

I would just make it easier to get around. I would fix things like Deansgate — it’s a mess, and it’s not clear. Expand the tram.