Does anybody remember shopping here ?

[petrusha]

Yes City did buy houses in that area. Frank Swift lived in one around there, but never heard anything about a City player being killed in a bombing raid. Two points worth thinking about - only first team players or new signings from elsewhere were offered housing by the club back then, but others would've been put in rooms around Beveridge St (at one point 3 first team players boarded in a terraced house on Wansford St I think c. 1946.

The other point is that there's a great map in one of the archives in Manchester showing where bombs landed in the city of Manchester. Bombs did destroy a house on Thornton Rd if I remember correctly. I'll see what my notes/records say to see if a house was destroyed where you say as well. Cheers

I believe that in the forties, Swift lived in a council house on Lloyd Street South. There's a little enclave set back off the street just after you pass Thornton Road (on the other side) when heading away from the Wilbraham Road end of Lloyd Street. My late aunt was friends with Swift's daughter (her name was Jean, I think) when they were at primary school just after the War ended, and my Dad was allowed to go round one day to get Frank's autograph. My Dad always used to point out the Swift house when we went to Maine Road. IIRC, those houses were the biggest council properties in the area and my Dad always suggested that one was allocated to Swift because of the celebrity status he enjoyed. Different world indeed.

My Dad's family lived in one of the terraced houses on Burdith Avenue, just round the back of the Parkside. His maternal grandparents lived on Lowthorpe Street.

 

[peoffrey]

I used to buy gear from the Soccer Shop. Fun City t-shirts, a retro shirt from 68 and other bits and pieces. I'd get the Southern Cemetery bus from Piccadilly Gardens.

 

[yeseye]

Got a Sergio Tacchini tracksuit from here early 80s iirc, Also got a couple of Ivan Lendl Adidas tennis Tshirts and I'm sure you could get Leo Gemilli stuff in here also, happy days

 

[TRUE BLUE NO1]

Only just noticed this picture...yes, remember soccer shop well, use to have a machete under the counter in case anyone tried to run off with the till!;)