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12 unusual facts about Old Trafford


Andre Adams

He had a fine 2010 County Championship, topping the bowling charts for the Country with 68 Wickets including the wicket of Shivnarine Chanderpaul to seal the Title at Old Trafford on the last day of the Season.

Burton Road Metrolink station

In 1880 the Midland Railway opened the new Manchester South District line which ran from Heaton Mersey to Throstle Nest Junction, Old Trafford.

Deirdre Barlow

The episode in 1983 when she ends her affair with Mike and reconciles with Ken was the highest rated episode and the news was so big it ended up being announced on the scoreboard during a Manchester United vs Arsenal match at Old Trafford, with the words "Ken and Deirdre reunited. Ken 1 - Mike 0" leading to cheers from the spectators.

Dick Tyldesley

He also hit up 105 against Nottinghamshire at Old Trafford and remarkably was Lancashire's fourth-highest run-scorer - though with less than half the aggregates of Ernest Tyldesley, Hallows and Makepeace.

Henshaws Society for Blind People

In September 1834 the Board of Management of Henshaw’s Blind Asylum and Deaf and Dumb schools, jointly purchased a plot of land adjoining the botanical gardens at Old Trafford Manchester.

Lloyd Budd

The first Test he umpired was the controversial Test at Old Trafford in 1976 when England's batsmen John Edrich and Brian Close were subject to a bouncer barrage from the West Indian Quicks.

Manchester United F.C. mascots

This status meant that few employers would give him any work, but he managed to find work at Old Trafford, sweeping up after home matches and operating the scoreboard at Reserve games.

Premier Reserve League

In the 2005–06 play-off, held at Old Trafford, Manchester United Reserves beat Tottenham Hotspur Reserves 2–0.

In the 2009–10 play-off match, held again at Old Trafford, Manchester United beat Aston Villa 3–2 in a penalty shoot-out after the game ended 3–3.

In the 2011–12 season finale held at Old Trafford, Manchester United Reserves beat Aston Villa Reserves 3–1 on penalties after the game ended 0–0 in normal time.

RAF Ringway

There is a monument, formerly in Terminal 1 but now in Manchester Airport railway station, to Alcock and Brown, the pioneers of transatlantic flight; of them, John Alcock was born in Old Trafford, near Barton Airport.

Red News

Over the years there have been a number of fanzines sold outside Old Trafford but Red News, Red Issue (which two former Red News contributors left to set up) and United We Stand are still going strong, all with a different theme and format.


1910–11 FA Cup

Bradford City won the competition for the first and (as of 2012) only time, beating Newcastle United 1–0 in the replay of the final at Old Trafford in Manchester, through a goal from Jimmy Speirs.

1912–13 Manchester City F.C. season

However, before their second game - a Manchester derby at Old Trafford - Ernest Mangnall had already been confirmed as taking over the managerial position at Hyde Road, and though he was still contracted to manage City's rivals for the game, when United lost by one goal to nil the press were eager to pick up on Mangnall's delight at the result.

1956–57 in English football

They began on a high note by eliminating Belgian champions Anderlecht, confirming qualification for the first knockout round by beating the Belgian side 10-0 in the premilinary round second leg at Old Trafford.

1971–72 Manchester United F.C. season

Due to Manchester United being banned from playing their first two home matches in Old Trafford, after hooligans had thrown knives into the away section at a match at the end of the previous season, their opening "home" games were played at Anfield and the Victoria Ground.

Albert Scanlon

Following his retirement from football, Scanlon's employments included a job as a security worker at a Colgate-Palmolive factory not far from Old Trafford.

Asset of Community Value

These include Old Trafford football stadium, The Valley and the South Bank Undercroft; sports clubs; parks including Myddleton Square in Islington.

Barmy Army

In conjunction with the increasing appearance of English football shirts at cricket grounds in the early 1990s, the song's repetitive cry of "Barmy Army, Barmy Army, Barmy Army" transferred to domestic cricket arenas at Old Trafford and Headingley.

Darren Sammy

And the 23-year-old St Lucian won his first Test cap in the third Test match at Old Trafford on 7 June.

Ellis Achong

After bowling this variation to have Walter Robins stumped at Old Trafford in 1933, it is reputed that Robins said to the umpire Joe Hardstaff Sr., "fancy being done by a bloody Chinaman".

Geoff Pullar

He was a product of Werneth Cricket Club, which was close to where he went to school in Oldham, and while there he showed equal talent as a leg break bowler as well as with his batting - but with Tommy Greenhough, Bob Barber and Sonny Ramadhin variously based at Old Trafford, Pullar's bowling was rarely called upon in first-class cricket.

History of Test cricket from 1884 to 1889

The first representative match of the 1884 season was held at Lancashire's ground, Old Trafford, making it the first such match played there.

Jim Laker

Laker was the first player to take all 10 wickets in a Test match innings, ten for 53 in the Australians' second innings of the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford in 1956 (the only other bowler to take all 10 wickets is Anil Kumble of India in 1999).

John Sydenham

Saints lost out 7-5 to Manchester United on aggregate but Sydenham's lasting memory of the cup adventure was of Manchester United manager Matt Busby going into the Old Trafford dressing room and congratulating them on their performance.

Júlio César Santos Correa

A broken foot sustained against Manchester United at Old Trafford, on Boxing Day, did not help his chances of re-gaining a regular first team berth.

Kevin Ashman

The Milhous Warriors, most of whom are based in Swindon, England, have often emerged victorious in the team elements of events run by Quizzing.co.uk, becoming National Champions at Old Trafford football stadium in 2004 and Silverstone in 2005 as part of those years' UK leg of the World Quizzing Championship event.

Kieran Richardson

He then made two further substitute appearances during England's World Cup qualification against Wales in Cardiff and Austria at Old Trafford.

Martin Oglanby

Oglanby played in the Premiership Finals for Workington at Old Trafford in 1993 and in 1994, tasting victory in the latter as Town beat London Crusaders 30-22, as Town thrived under the magnificent coaching of Peter Walsh.

Neil Harvey with the Australian cricket team in England in 1948

In the next match, he scored 36 and 76 not out on a turning pitch against Lancashire at Old Trafford in Manchester, putting on an unbroken century partnership with Ron Hamence in the second innings as the match ended in a draw.

Percy de Paravicini

He made his first class debut for Middlesex on 15 August 1881 at Old Trafford, Manchester in the County Tournament against Lancashire.

The Accident Group

In June 2000, Langford was convicted of careless driving after a 73 year old pensioner (ex serviceman), William Thornley, was knocked down and killed by Langford's Ferrari 355 F1 Spider close to Old Trafford football stadium in November 1998.

Thomas McGhee

He later spent two years at the Stretford Technical College, opposite Lancashire County Cricket Club's ground and about half a mile from Old Trafford.

Victoria, London

Archibald Leitch who was renowned for his work designing football stadiums including Craven Cottage, Anfield, Stamford Bridge, Old Trafford, Ibrox and White Hart Lane among many others, had offices were based at 53 Victoria Street (they too are long gone), and the street as a whole housed many consulting engineering firms until the 1970s.