Hyde Road Stadium

[Stephen230]

I had always assumed it was a disued station but apparently not!

Ardwick railway station in Ardwick, Manchester, England, is about one mile (1.5 km) south-east of Manchester Piccadilly, in an industrial area of east Manchester. Plans to close the station permanently were scrapped in 2006 due to increasing activity in the area. The station has just one train in each direction calling on Monday to Friday in the winter 2019–20 timetable. These trains have additionally called at the station on Saturdays from May 2018.

I think they call them Parliamentary Trains. I read an article on Denton and Reddish South stations a few years ago, that seem to be in a similar position.

Apparently the red tape to officially shut down a train station is such a long drawn out and expensive procedure, that they find it easier to just have one train a day or even a week stop there and then it’s classed as a working station and save all the hassle of shutting it down.

 

[INDEEDY DEEDY]

What a great and interesting thread this is. I do have some indirect "connections" to the stadium but at the time I wasn't aware of its existence (hanging my head in shame!). I had an uncle, who we visited many times, who lived in the street opposite The Hyde Road Pub until the clearance. Although I lived in Wythenshawe at the time, I went to St. Gregory's in Ardwick from 1961 - 1967. I also used to go to Speedway at Belle Vue on a regular basis in the 1970s. I would have loved to have known about the stadium all those years ago.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

I think they call them Parliamentary Trains. I read an article on Denton and Reddish South stations a few years ago, that seem to be in a similar position.

Apparently the red tape to officially shut down a train station is such a long drawn out and expensive procedure, that they find it easier to just have one train a day or even a week stop there and then it’s classed as a working station and save all the hassle of shutting it down.

That surprises me somewhat. The Beeching Report and the legislation that followed closed literally hundreds of miles of track, and the stations that went with them, naturally, at one fell swoop. I remember it well.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Had a quick look at the website for the Armitage CofE primary school (which is so very close to the old stadium). Looks like a rather dynamic school, in fact. Got a very good Ofsted rating (for what that's worth…)
Still nobody from round there who's looked at this thread who went there? Or nobody that you might know?
It'll never happen, but I was thinking that as part of City's work in the community, it would be brilliant for someone who knows what they're talking about (looking at you, Gary! The club would pay you for your time, obviously — says I, breezily) to go along with, say, one of the players — Erling, to put stars in their eyes — to give the kids a talk about the Hyde Road Stadium that was so close.

 

[Fat Chance]

Charlie chaplin went to armitage school..

 

[Gary James]

Had a quick look at the website for the Armitage CofE primary school (which is so very close to the old stadium). Looks like a rather dynamic school, in fact. Got a very good Ofsted rating (for what that's worth…)
Still nobody from round there who's looked at this thread who went there? Or nobody that you might know?
It'll never happen, but I was thinking that as part of City's work in the community, it would be brilliant for someone who knows what they're talking about (looking at you, Gary! The club would pay you for your time, obviously — says I, breezily) to go along with, say, one of the players — Erling, to put stars in their eyes — to give the kids a talk about the Hyde Road Stadium that was so close.

I did some talks to the Academy a decade ago and took them on a tour of West Gorton, showing them the site of St Mark’s and the first pitch. I’m not employed by City otherwise I suppose that Armitage visit may have been a possibility

 

[Bozo]

I hope the club produce a VR/CGI interactive mock up of Hyde Road at some point. Would love to see how it would have actually looked back in the day.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

I hope the club produce a VR/CGI interactive mock up of Hyde Road at some point. Would love to see how it would have actually looked back in the day.

It's a great idea. When you look at the know-how that went into the production of the drone visit to various parts of the stadium a couple of seasons back, with all the sound effects (and to be clear, I thought that was brilliant), you'd think they've now got people who are very savvy about the new media for whom such a thing would be a piece of cake. Probably not very expensive (although I hold my hands up straight away to admit I know nothing about costing in such cases) and it would a fine way of respecting City's long and rich “ ’istree”.
We've now got quite a lot of new young fans for whom Maine Road is just a legend (that the FOCs rabbit on about…)
As Hyde Road is for me.

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

I wanted to do a proper archeological dig a few years back and wrote to Time Team, sadly they never replied. I have been helping an artist who is painting the stadium as it was and lots of other things may happen this year too.

Is this programme (or similar) still on?
If yes, I think it would be worth another letter, given this would be the last chance to explore the site before the housing development goes up.
Manchester Uni has an archeological studies course. Maybe tip them off too?

 

[DTKOAG]

Right I have been down today as I couldn’t go after the match due to time..
However in my view it looks like they have demolished the buildings after the viaduct and are planning on do work in that area.
Photos enclosed with this info which is quite sad really.