Hyde Road Stadium

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

When you see the track system around the ground you can see why they had to move. There was no chance of building a place with the ambition of Maine Road. And I guess that was why it wasn't really marked as an historical site. It was a stepping stone onto somewhere else and then became a tram/bus depot - also important from a social history point of view but also not celebrated.

In the late 60''s early 70's my Dad used to organise Van driver skills tests. On a couple of occasions I can remember going with him to a skid pan and watching vans sliding around. I have this picture of a place near to railway arches. I thought it was out in the country somewhere - but having seen the pictures of the other thread I now wonder if they used the skid pan on the Hyde Road site. Might not have been but should be some ex-bus drivers who practiced how to control a bus in slippy conditions.

In the 90's I used to book mini buses from Manchester Mini Bus Agency that operated within the skid patch / bus training area.
Maybe went there 5 or 6 times a year for 3 or 4 years. Always drove in there slowly taking in the surroundings imagining Billy Meredith and co playing on the spot i was driving on.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

In the 90's I used to book mini buses from Manchester Mini Bus Agency that operated within the skid patch / bus training area.
Maybe went there 5 or 6 times a year for 3 or 4 years. Always drove in there slowly taking in the surroundings imagining Billy Meredith and co playing on the spot i was driving on.

Ah, that's why you know the area so well.

 

[BrianW]

I remember my grandad saying that occasionally trucks were shunted while the match was in progress.

The siding in question led to Galloway's boiler factory. When I say boilers, I don't mean domestic boilers but bloody massive Lancashire boilers as used in mills and industry. They were carried on special low wagons because, with the boiler on top, they could just about be accommodated within the loading gauge. Something like that being pushed or pulled along at 4 mph would seriously impact on your 'matchday experience'.

I'm glad the detailed map was put up, as it's hard to believe such a thing ever was.

 

[Cassandra]

At Hyde Road? That's interesting. Tell us more.

My Dad's Dad died when Dad was a young child but Dad always maintained that his Grandad had played for City though as Dad was initially brought up with cousins on his mother's side contact with his Dad's side of the family was rather lost though we had contacts with some of them in Burnage who had told Dad that this was the case. Anyhow there is one player who fits the time frame and surname - Billy Lewis - a Welsh international who started off in Bangor went to Everton and Bolton before spending a season with City in 1896/7 and then moved on to Chester. He played 12 times for City (in Division 2) scoring 4 times. So I think he was probably my great grandfather.

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

One of the problems the ground had was that it only had turnstiles on Bennett Street so if there was a large attendance, it meant long queues waiting to get in as a result.

Here are 2 more pictures. The 2nd with King George V visiting

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

But I don't understand. Where are all the empty seats on those photos?
One good thing for the early leavers — plenty of railways just outside the ground (or even in the ground in one corner…)

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

By the way, I've finally worked out why I'm uncomfortable with the orientation. It's because the swamp has more or less the same orientation (east to west). I knew there was something snagging in the back of my mind.
We should do everything differently. Indeed, oppositely.

 

[petrusha]

By the way, I've finally worked out why I'm uncomfortable with the orientation. It's because the swamp has more or less the same orientation (east to west). I knew there was something snagging in the back of my mind.
We should do everything differently. Indeed, oppositely.

An east-west orientation is unusual. Most football grounds in the UK are built north to south. I believe that this originally evolved at least in part because players are less hindered by having to squint into the sunlight in afternoon or early evening games that they would be with an east-west orientation.

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, when the first major football grounds were being built across the country with a typical design of one side a covered main stand with seats and the three other sides terraced standing accommodation, it also allowed the western stand to be designated the main stand. This meant that the posh people in the seats were less likely to get wind and rain blowing into their faces (as such weather most commonly came from the west) and they wouldn't have the sun in their eyes on a nice afternoon.

As I recall, John Henry Davies, the original rag sugar daddy and a brewery owner, had originally purchased the land where Old Trafford is so that he could relocate one of his breweries there. For some reason he decided against it, and ended up giving it to United instead. It couldn't fit a stadium going north-south so had to use an east-west orientation instead.

I suspect that I picked up at least a large chunk of this information from the excellent 'Manchester - A Football History' by @Gary James. If Gary (or anyone else with knowledge) wants to correct anything I've misremembered, please do.

 

[Gingers Dad]

One of the problems the ground had was that it only had turnstiles on Bennett Street so if there was a large attendance, it meant long queues waiting to get in as a result.

Here are 2 more pictures. The 2nd with King George V visiting
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View attachment 73203

My granddad and his mates climbed over the wall to get into that. For some reason I always thought it was at Maine Road. Thanks for sharing

 

[Gingers Dad]

An east-west orientation is unusual. Most football grounds in the UK are built north to south. I believe that this originally evolved at least in part because players are less hindered by having to squint into the sunlight in afternoon or early evening games that they would be with an east-west orientation.

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, when the first major football grounds were being built across the country with a typical design of one side a covered main stand with seats and the three other sides terraced standing accommodation, it also allowed the western stand to be designated the main stand. This meant that the posh people in the seats were less likely to get wind and rain blowing into their faces (as such weather most commonly came from the west) and they wouldn't have the sun in their eyes on a nice afternoon.

As I recall, John Henry Davies, the original rag sugar daddy and a brewery owner, had originally purchased the land where Old Trafford is so that he could relocate one of his breweries there. For some reason he decided against it, and ended up giving it to United instead. It couldn't fit a stadium going north-south so had to use an east-west orientation instead.

I suspect that I picked up at least a large chunk of this information from the excellent 'Manchester - A Football History' by @Gary James. If Gary (or anyone else with knowledge) wants to correct anything I've misremembered, please do.

I believe the stands were built North to South and the main stand was on the West so the big wigs didn't have to squint into the sun.