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Manchester United and Manchester City pay tribute to terror attack victims with bumblebee strip for pre-season friendly

The worker bee is a symbol of the city's industrial history

MANCHESTER UNITED and Man City players will wear the worker bee symbol in tribute to the victims of the Manchester terror attack.

Twenty-two people were killed, the youngest eight-year-old Saffie Rose Roussos, when religious extremist Salman Abedi detonated a homemade bomb at the Manchester Arena during an Ariana Grande concert in May.

 Manchester United and Man City will wear a special bee on their shirts in a friendly to raise money for the Manchester terror attack
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Manchester United and Man City will wear a special bee on their shirts in a friendly to raise money for the Manchester terror attackCredit: Twitter
 The worker bee is a symbol of the city - and has become one of defiance and solidarity since the attack
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The worker bee is a symbol of the city - and has become one of defiance and solidarity since the attackCredit: Getty Images

The Manchester clubs will now wear the worker bee symbol - a nod to the city's industrial past - in their Houston, Texas, friendly to raise money for the victims.

The bee has been the city's emblem since Victorian times and was adopted into the Manchester coat of arms in 1842.

Since the attack, the bee has become a symbol of solidarity and defiance since the sickening attack.

After the friendly, all of the match-worn shirts will be available to buy, with all proceeds going to the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund.

Speaking ahead of the friendly, Man City chief Ferran Soriano said: "Manchester continues to show great strength and sense of community since May’s devastating attack and the thoughts of everyone at Manchester City remain with those affected.

"The worker bee symbolises everything that makes Manchester such a special city and our players will wear it on their shirts with immense pride, as a demonstration of solidarity with the Manchester community."

 Twenty-two people were killed at the Manchester Arena after extremist Salman Abedi detonated a bomb at an Ariana Grande concert
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Twenty-two people were killed at the Manchester Arena after extremist Salman Abedi detonated a bomb at an Ariana Grande concertCredit: London News Pictures
 Proceeds from the sales of the shirt will go towards the victims of the atrocity
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Proceeds from the sales of the shirt will go towards the victims of the atrocityCredit: Getty Images
 People have come together in love and support in the face of terror since the Manchester attack
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People have come together in love and support in the face of terror since the Manchester attackCredit: Getty Images

Manchester United boss Ed Woodward, added: “The city of Manchester has shown great strength and unity since the tragic terror attack in May, showing the country and the world how special this city really is.

"Having the worker bee on our shirts once again shows the community spirit of our city and football club and it is only natural that we continue to help all of those affected, through this fundraising and awareness, with millions of fans across the world watching this game."


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