NAME: Old Trafford
ADDRESS: Sir Matt Busby Way, Old Trafford, Manchester, M16 0RA.
CAPACITY: Approx. 72,500.
CELTIC ALLOCATION: Unlike Keane’s testimonial where we had the whole North Stand, Celtic will get 4000 tickets for the Champions League game.
DIRECTIONS
Multimap Link
BY CAR: From Scotland you take the M6, M56 (passing Bolton’s Reebok Stadium) and onto the M60. Get off at Junction 7, and take the A56 towards Manchester. Sir Matt Busby Way is off the A56.
BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT: The metrolink has an Old Trafford stop and is easily the best option.
PARKING: Get there early enough and parking is next to the stadium for a small fee!
WHAT TO EXPECT
Good question… until now we’ve only met in good natured friendlies. The Champions League will be our first competative match!
Rain. Manchester is famous for raining all the time. Apart from the Keane testimonial which was a glorious day!
Most of the local population to be supporting you… “apparently” City are the Manchester team and United are everyone elses!
SAD TRIVIA
Manchester United have played at Old Trafford since 1910. Prior to this, they played as Newton Heath FC. They became Manchester United in 1902 after almost going bankrupt. Sadly, they didn’t opt for the much better sounding name of Manchester Celtic, which was one of the options at the time.
They may have called it home since 1910, but Manchester United haven’t played at Old Trafford all that time. In 1941 the ground was bombed and for 8 years Manchester United’s temporary home was that of their “City” rivals, Maine Road.
Manchester United were the first English club to win the European Cup, defeating Benfica in the 1968 final. Sadly for them they can’t claim the title of first British club to win it, due mainly to the events of the previous season, but also due partly to the infamous Munich Air Disaster where the Manchester United team were desimated on their way back from Belgrade in February 1958. Eight players were killed, along with 15 other passengers. Manager Matt Busby was in intensive care for some time afterwards himself, but recovered enough to lead the team to their European triumph 10 years later. Many have speculated that the “Busby Babes” may have gone on to win the European Cup in 1958, but sadly we will never know.
Manchester United were last relegated in 1974. This was famously done thanks to defeat not only by their rivals Manchester City, but the winning goal was scored by Denis Law, a player who had featured in United’s European Cup winning team! Law quit the game soon after.
Alex Ferguson took over at Manchester United in 1986, arriving from Aberdeen, and is easily the longest serving manager in the Premiership. The start of his time there was far from glorious. He was nearly sacked in 1990 but an FA Cup win kept him in a job. That FA Cup win developed into winning the trophy itself, which then lead to their place in the Cup Winners Cup, which they then won too. The final First Division title went to Leeds United the following year, but since then Manchester United have won the majority of Premiership titles with only Blackburn, Arsenal and Chelsea having been able to stop them. Possibly their finest achievement came in 1999 when they won the Premiership, the FA Cup and the Champions League – the last of those coming from 1-0 down after 90 minutes to win 2-1 in injury time against Bayern Munich.
Malcolm Glazer’s takeover of Manchester United in 2005 has been something of a controversial one. The decision has lead to a large number of United fans leaving to form their own team – FC United of Manchester. This new club play in nearby Bury, and won the NW Counties Division 2 title in 2005/06 in their very first season. They currently play in the NW Counties League Division One, which is the fifth tier of the non-league pyramid setup, a full nine tiers below that of Manchester United in the Premiership. However, with a large support than some League Two teams would love to have, few would bet against that gap closing over time. Indeed, AFC Wimbledon are rapidly closing on Milton Keynes Dons in a similar story of fan power.
TIM FRIENDLY PUBS
BRANNIGANS
27 Peter Street
City Centre
Manchester M2
Any more, plus any comments on them?
PUBS TO AVOID
Any more, plus any comments on them?
Quotes
“Rangers or Celtic?
My first feeling was Celtic. When I was 13 years old I saw for the first time in my life a European Cup final – Inter against Celtic. That image is, even today, clear in my mind; that day, that game, Jimmy Johnston, Riva… I was so impressed. When I was in Mozambique, far away from football in Europe, I always remembered that day and that team. Especially because when they started to play in the national stadium in Portugal I thought Celtic were Sporting Lisbon because they dressed like Sporting.”
Carlos Quieroz (Man U assistant manager)
“Are they really better than the Southamptons and Coventrys of this world? ”
Then Man Yoo chairman Martin Edwards on suggestions that Celtic were ready to join the premiership in 1997 (what a twat!)