Actually unbeknown to many Manchester United fans, the club has had a previous base prior to its move to Old Trafford in 1910 amid pressing concerns about the surface quality in their previous home.
There is no doubt that for many, when they think about ‘Manchester United’ an image of Old Trafford springs to mind, which has become one of the most iconic football stadiums in the world.
However, the original home of Manchester United, was called North Road, in Newton Heath which was both a football and a cricket ground. The club was actually known as Newton Heath Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Football Club from 1878 until 1893 when the club moved to its new home on Bank Street, Clayton.
Owned by the Manchester Cathedral Authorities and located next to the wagon works, the pitch itself left little to be desired – especially by today’s standards. Often in the winter, it turned into a muddy swamp, while in the summer, the pitch was bumpy and dry.
It should be noted that North Road was not actually purpose built for football and as a result, the facilities were really basic. As such, there were no proper dressing rooms to speak of, which meant that crowds could basically stand right on the touchline more or less, as you see in amateur games today. Indeed, players had to get changed pre and post match in the Three Crowns public house on Oldham Road a few hundred yards away from the pitch.
At its peak though, there were believed to be 10,000 people in attendance during the 1880s, while in 1889, North Road began to host Football Alliance league matches, which was a precursor to the Football League.
Notable Events
The first ever recorded match held at North Road, was actually a Lancashire Cup first round tie between Blackburn Olympic Reserves and Newton Heath, with the latter succumbing to a 7-2 defeat on 27 October, 1883. It is believed that there was an entry fee, equivalent to £2 in modern day value.
In 1892, North Road then hosted Football League matches, with Newton Heath one of the founding members of this, with the ground hosting top tier football matches. This was also after the ground was expanded to include two grandstands, each hosting around 1,000 each, taking the total capacity to 12,000.
Because of financial issues and the need for better facilities, the club was forced to relocate in 1893 to its Bank Street home in Clayton, which also meant that more fans could attend on matchday.
Very little remains of the North Road ground today, though there is no doubt that it played a crucial part in the foundation of the Manchester United we all know today.