The gulf in football was best highlighted today as the tour hit Manchester.

A lunchtime trip to Old Trafford saw us take a quick picture outside the home of Manchester United as they prepared for their Champions League semi-final with AC Milan that night.

A stadium draped at every opportunity with towering banners for global brands, a megastore filled with numerous different accents, a ground getting prepared to be the stage for a captive worldwide audience.

Compare that matchday with modest Macclesfield.

Moss Rose had a few cars parked up, chefs getting ready for a busy shift ahead by having a cigarette in the vacated stands, an empty stadium counting down the hours before a crucial potentially league status saving contest was played out.

A signed club shirt from them was gratefully received.

The City of Manchester Stadium- home to the 2002 Commonwealth Games- was an unbelievable site.

A marvel of modern invention, this arena stands tall as an awesome structure.

Inside, the hi-tech theme continues with an amphitheatre of thousands of light blue seats- breathtaking when empty, what must it be like to play here in front of a full-house?

A visit to Manchester City's changing room with action shots on each players locker and a motivational few words from Pele was also thrown in.

Stops at Rochdale, Bury, Stockport, Oldham and Preston were also notched up before we enjoyed a beer filled night in Blackpool.