The campaigners plan to hand over a petition to the leader of Manchester City Council and former Manchester United captain Gary Neville to save the Sir Ralph Abercromby pub.

The pub has around 200 years of history dating back to the Peterloo Massacre in 1819, but is due to be demolished as part of the Jackson Row development, which will create hotel and residential facilities in Manchester city centre.

The Jackson Row development is fronted by Mr Neville and his former Manchester United colleague Ryan Giggs.

The pair have also built other developments in Manchester, including Hotel Football.

However, over 3,500 people have so far backed the petition to save the historic pub as campaigners look to hit 5,000 before handing it over to the council and Mr Neville.

Speaking of the reason behind the petition, the campaigners Friends of the Sir Ralph Abercromby stated: “The Sir Ralph Abercromby remains a popular and successful business with a loyal community of regulars who use the pub week in, week out.

“Landlord Mike and his team have worked hard to build up his business, but will lose his livelihood and five years of hard work.”

Friends of the Sir Ralph Abercromby is now calling upon Manchester City Council to work with the project’s developers Zerum and the lead partner Mr Neville to incorporate the pub into the new development.

“We've lost enough historic buildings to be replaced by steel and glass boxes.

“It's time we fought to keep our history.

“We call upon Manchester City Council Planning Committee to retain Manchester's history and reject planning proposals to demolish the pub.”

However, speaking about the future of the pub in an interview with the Daily Mirror, Mr Neville said he and his team were in discussions with the landlord over its future.

“The Abercromby pub has been a point that has gained a lot of publicity and from our point of view obviously we are looking at it as a wider development and the site will be cleared and the pub will be removed.

“I think from our point of view we have been in dialogue with the landlord over the last six to eight months.

“We’ve spoken to him about his job and the jobs of his staff in respect of working with him to protect those during our post construction because it is important to us.

“I am a citizen of Manchester and the idea of taking a fellow person’s job is not something that appeals to me.”