Critics have pushed back against an article purporting the ships on the crests of Manchester City and Manchester United to represent the slave trade.
An article published in The Guardian claimed that the ships shown on the respective badges have 'nothing to do with football' and instead had their ties with how the city made its money in the 19th century.
The city's coat of arms carries the image of a ship, as seen carved into the town hall, with the city council crest having a ship in a similar place to Manchester's two major professional clubs.