Summary

  • Friends, family and stars of the sporting world gathered for the funeral for British boxer Ricky Hatton at Manchester Cathedral

  • The former world champion was found dead at his home in Hyde at the age of 46 last month

  • Boxing legends Frank Bruno, Tyson Fury and Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher were among the guests in attendance

  • Hatton's son Campbell fought back tears as he told the service: "Never has a father and son had so much in common"

  • The service began at midday before moving to the Etihad stadium

  • Hatton, a life-long Manchester City fan, is known as 'The Pride of Hyde' in his hometown where he grew up on a Hattersley council estate

  • The procession began at 09:45 BST at the Cheshire Cheese pub in the town before making its way along a 10-mile (16km) route through the city

Live Reporting

Edited by Tom Mullen & Lauren Hirst

  1. Order of service describes 'Service of Thanksgiving'

    The order of service for the funeral is being passed around mourners who have arrived early at Manchester Cathedral.

    Ricky Hatton order of servicePA

  2. TV car tribute pays homage to Hatton's love of Only Fools and Horses

    A truck carrying a nostalgic piece of TV memorabilia is leading the funeral procession - a tribute to Hatton's love of classic comedy Only Fools and Horses.

    Hatton was a huge fan of the show, which featured the exploits of Del Boy and Rodney.

    His love for it was so strong that he purchased The Trotters' three-wheeled yellow van.

    A truck carrying The Trotters' car from the show Only Fools and Horses is followed by a car carrying the coffin of former boxer Ricky HattonReuters
    A truck carrying The Trotters' car from the show Only Fools and Horses is followed by a car carrying the coffin of former boxer Ricky HattonReuters
    Van with the balloon "Ricky" in goldReuters

  3. Red roses also on show as well-wishers gather at Hatton's gym

    These well-wishers went to the gym in Hyde wearing the boxing legend trained and still has many friends.

    Child on his dad's shoulders holding red roses in tribute to Ricky HattonPA

  4. Mourners proudly wearing Hatton-branded tributes

    The streets are awash with blue in tribute to Hatton and his beloved Manchester City, with mourners sporting a range of customised T-shirts and scarves.

    Woman sporting a branded Ricky Hatton tshirtPA

  5. Hundreds look on as procession sets off

    The procession has set off from the Cheshire Cheese pub on Stockport Road in Hyde and is making its way along the 10-mile (16km) route to Manchester Cathedral.

    Mourners will then be able to head to Etihad Stadium, home of Hatton's beloved Manchester City, after the funeral.

    Funeral procession sets off from the pubReuters
    Crowds gather outside the pubReuters
    Crowds gather outside the pubReuters
    Mourners are holding blue balloons shaped as flowersReuters

  6. 'There's only one Ricky Hatton'

    When the BBC visited Hatton Boxing in Hyde, there was no shortage of people wanting to pay tribute to him.

    "He was like the hero of Hyde and everyone will tell you that," said friend and trainer Blain Younis.

    "We all grew up wanting to be Ricky Hatton.

    "So then, in the end, it was mad that the guy that I grew up wanting to be became a friend."

  7. The scene as the procession begins

  8. Flags of Hatton's beloved Man City flying outside pub

    Jonny Humphries
    BBC News

    Manchester City flags in memory of Hatton are flying outside the pub where the funeral cortege will begin its journey.

    The procession is setting off from The Cheshire Cheese in Hyde at 09:45.

    Manchester City flags with the name Ricky Hatton are flying outside a pub

    Vanessa Stansfield, pictured right with friend Emily, has been selling blue flags all week with the proceeds being donated to the Men’s Club mental health charity.

    She said: "He was a great boxer, icon, inspiration to so millions of people but to us he was just a local lad who had time for everyone."

    Vanessa Stansfield is standing next to her friend Emily outside the pub. She is wearing a blue T-shirt with a photograph of Ricky Hatton in the boxing ring

    Phil Benson, pictured left with Kevin Burton, who works at the Cheshire Cheese pub, said Hatton always stayed "true to his roots".

    "As I was growing up - the same age as Ricky - he was my idol - proper boxer, proper lad, made it big and never changed himself," he said.

    "It's why everyone loved him. He was just down to Earth"

    He added that he was "his favourite boxer of all time".

    This is Phil Benson (left) and Kevin Burton (right) from Rock Academy gym in Doncaster are pictured outside the pub

  9. In pictures: The lasting legacy of Ricky Hatton

    From honing his talents in his hometown of Hyde to his rise in the ring to the elite ranks of international boxing.

    Ricky Hatton in TrainingReuters
    Ricky Hatton weighs-in at Caesars Palace Hotel, Las Vegas, NevadaPA Media
    Ricky Hatton v Kostya Tszyu IBF World Light-Welterweight TitleReuters
    Ricky Hatton v Paulie MalignaggiReuters
    Ricky Hatton with his MBE at Buckingham Palace, London, in 2007PA Media
    Ricky Hatton v Jose Luis CastilloReuters
    Ricky Hatton vs Marco Antonio BarreraPA Media

  10. 'We just had to be a part of his send-off. He's a special bloke'

    Anna Jameson
    BBC News

    People on the streets of Hyde have described much it meant to them that Hatton invested in his hometown.

    He trained here everyday.

    Cars are beeping as they pass and the railings have been decorated with scarves, boxing gloves and flags.

    A Manchester City shirt tied to the gate reads: “Ricky. Sleep Tight.”

    Among the mourners is 43-year-old Michael Lunny, who has travelled from Shropshire.

    "We travelled with Ricky round the world. We went to Vegas watching him." he said.

    "If he can bring 30,000 people to Vegas what's he going to bring here today?

    "We had to be a part of his send-off. He's a special bloke."

    Michael Lunny pictured outside the gym

  11. 'I've followed him since I was young'

    Diane and Ian Birtwistle have travelled from Bolton while their son Lee has made the journey all the way from Cumbria.

    "He is well thought of by many people," said Diane.

    "It's a very sad occasion to think this has all come about. Very sad and very sorry to his family."

    Lee, who has a boxing gym in Cumbria, said Hatton had made a big difference to so many people's lives especially due to his openness about his struggles with mental health.

    "I've followed him since I was young with the boxing," he said.

    "I have suffered mental health myself. I had a breakdown in 2010.

    "You need to be open. If I wasn't open and talk to people I probably wouldn't be here now. You've got to talk."

    Lee has his arm around his mother Diane outside Manchester Cathedral

  12. Early crowds already gathering

    Bobbie Jackson
    BBC Sport at Manchester Cathedral

    It’s grey and overcast in Manchester but the rain is forecast to hold off.

    A few groups have already starting to gather outside the Cathedral as security assemble barriers, with hundreds of members of the public set to be lining the streets to bid farewell to an icon of the city.

    Ricky Hatton’s popularity meant he was adored across the board and stars from a multitude of sports are expected to attend today.

    British heavyweight boxer Frazer Clarke was here earlier taking a walk around the outside of the Cathedral.

  13. What is the procession route?

    Hatton's family has shared a route for fans wishing to pay their respects.

    The funeral procession route will begin at 09:45 BST outside the Cheshire Cheese pub on Stockport Road in Hyde.

    The procession will then make its way to Harehill Tavern in Hyde before doves are released in Hatton's honour at The New Inn in Salford.

    It will continue through Hyde, pausing at Hatton's Gym and passing Hyde Town Hall and the AO Arena, before finishing at Manchester Cathedral.

    Mourners will then be able to continue on to Etihad Stadium, home of Hatton's beloved Manchester City Football Club, after the funeral.

    A graphic of a map of Greater Manchester with points marked along the way and a long list of locations on the right side. The title at the top reads 'Ricky Hatton Memorial Route'.DIGITAL NEXT/HATTON FAMILY

  14. Who was 'the people's champion' Ricky Hatton?

    The sporting world was left in shock when Hatton was found dead at his home.

    Born in Stockport in 1978, the charismatic fighter spent most of his upbringing on the Hattersley council estate in Hyde, Greater Manchester.

    But it was the hours spent tucked away in a small gym his parents built in their pub cellar where his love for boxing was born.

    He rose through amateur and domestic levels to pit his wits against the elite boxers of his generation, including Kostya Tszyu, Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao.

    He was as high on the list of Britain's most popular and recognisable boxers having won world titles in the light-welterweight and welterweight divisions.

    His all-action style – which led to the nickname “Hitman” - made him one of the most popular fighters in the first decade of the 21st Century.

    A wide shot of Ricky Hatton wearing black boxing gloves. In the background is an image of Hatton's back, with the tattoo 'hitman' written across it.PA Media

  15. Final farewell to boxing legend and sporting great

    Friends, family and stars of the sporting world are set to gather to pay their respects to former world champion Ricky Hatton.

    The boxing legend was found dead at his home in Hyde, Greater Manchester, on 14 September at the age of 46.

    The funeral cortege will set off from Cheshire Cheese on Stockport Road in Hyde before making its way to Manchester Cathedral for the service.

    We will be bringing you live updates as family, friends and fans remember the sporting great who touched the lives of so many.

    Ricky Hatton, who is wearing a blue blazer and shirt, is staring at the camera in this photograph following the Ultimate Boxxer Brand Launch at the ME Hotel LondonPA Media