Manchester's festive cheer was violently disrupted on Sunday when a shocking public brawl brought the city's famous Christmas Markets to a standstill.
Market Chaos Captured on Camera
The dramatic scrap erupted between local figures Dougie Joyce and Simon 'Slimey' McGinley in Exchange Square outside the Selfridges store at 4.35pm. Stunned shoppers watched as the two men, described as local nemeses, began fighting near a Porky Pig stall, with their tussle captured on mobile phones.
Video footage shows the pair grappling violently before falling to the ground together. Joyce, from Openshaw, could be heard shouting 'get it up there son - who are you?' before aiming a series of blows at McGinley. The confrontation only ended when members of the public intervened to separate the combatants.
Rival Claims of Victory
Following the short but intense exchange, both men moved into the crowd and out of view, with each subsequently claiming victory in video messages posted online.
McGinley appeared in a clip seemingly recorded on a train, stating: 'Dougie Joyce, you came tonight to the Christmas market and you're acting now a bit of a blackguard.' He then drew the camera close to his face to show 'not even a black eye' and boasted: 'But Dougie Joyce, I knocked you out on your a**e with two or three belts.'
Joyce responded with a six-minute audio recording where he alleged McGinley initiated the violence with a headbutt 'straight to the face'. He declared: 'The beating that I give Simey McGinley, and this is on my mommy's life, my sons' lives, my beautiful little girls' lives, he didn't know what day it was. The fella with two pigs eyes got smashed and knocked out and didn't know what day it was.'
Police Response and Political Connection
A spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Police confirmed that officers responded to reports of a disturbance in Exchange Square at 4.35pm on Sunday. However, the incident appeared to be over when they arrived. Officers spoke to both men but 'neither would disclose anything' and no complaints were made.
Adding a political dimension to the story, Joyce is known to have associated with former Prime Minister Liz Truss. He previously posted an Instagram video showing the pair together where he promoted his whisky brand, with Joyce telling Truss 'just remember - Dougie Joyce loves ya' and Truss responding 'Liz Truss loves you'.
The brawl temporarily halted festivities at one of Manchester's most popular seasonal attractions, leaving market-goers shocked by the unexpected violence amid the Christmas celebrations.
