TT No.131: Mike Latham - Thursday 22 January: Lancashire FA Canterbury Senior Cup First Round:
Matchday images (7) >view>
Opportunities to tick off historic grounds for a first team game within one hundred and fifty miles of home are becoming increasingly few for me so I was grateful to a groundhopping friend of mine for locating this particular fixture that came with the added luxury of a Thursday afternoon kick-off.
The Lancashire Senior Cup, according to the Lancashire FA website, is a first-team fixture even though both sides fielded virtually their youth sides.
The Cliff is certainly a historic ground and I had wanted to visit there for ages. It was primarily once a cricket and tennis field and then a rugby league ground of note, home to Broughton Rangers between 1913, after they left their nearby Wheater’s Field until 1933 when they moved across the city to groundshare at the old Belle Vue speedway stadium. After changing their name to Belle Vue Rangers in 1947, the club sadly folded in 1955.
In 1938 Manchester United FC took over The Cliff for training purposes, buying the site outright in 1952 and also used the venue for reserve team and junior games until they moved the bulk of their training operation to Carrington in 2000. But it is still a highly impressive venue, incorporating an indoor training facility behind the nearside goal that boasts a full-length pitch and dressing rooms, an administrative building and canteen at the nearside entrance.
On the far side is the remnants of the stand used by Broughton Rangers and behind which runs the free-flowing River Irwell. The old
As well as staging Rangers’ games for many years, The Cliff also was the venue for several cup finals and representative matches. Most notably the ground staged the 1921 Challenge Cup Final when Leigh defeated
On a gloriously sunny winter’s afternoon The Cliff looked a picture and over one hundred spectators took advantage of the opportunity to watch the game. Parking was easy on
The playing pitch was in immaculate condition and United’s talented young team earned a comfortable win courtesy of first half goals by Federico Macheda and Magnus Eikrem and a second half free-kick by Davide Petrucci. The team-sheet is worth keeping if only to see how many of the United team go on to better things; indeed number 2 Richard Eckersley went on to feature in the FA Cup tie against Spurs just two days later.
I felt privileged to tread the turf and surrounds of a famous stadium and it was easy to re-live the days when the Cliff was home to some of Rugby League’s biggest names while later providing the base for so many United luminaries to hone their skills. It was a lovely, relaxed afternoon in the company of several groundhoppers and the appreciative crowd certainly enjoyed the bonus of their free Thursday afternoon at the match.
contributed on 24/01/09