Note: click on all historical images to see original, larger size

  RED DEVIL "Manchester United FC History by Picture"            

             1931     

   The Cliff. The picture shows a Rugby League 1st Round Lancashire Cup match
    between Broughton Rangers and Wigan in October 1931. The stand to the right
    is where the pavilion is located today.

   Broughton Rangers RL club moved to the Cliff in 1913. It was formerly a cricket
   and tennis ground. In 1921 there were 21,000 at the RL Challenge Cup final between
   Leigh and Halifax, and in 1931/32 26,471 saw Salford v. Swinton in the Lancashire
   Cup final. An international (England 11 Wales 8) was played there on 6 April 1927
   in front of 6,700.

   In 1933 Broughton Rangers moved to Belle Vue (the old zoo park, where they
   played at the speedway stadium). Belle Vue had covered seating for 20,000,
   and a crowd of 34,000 saw a Britain v. Australia game in 1933 - nothing to do
   with United, but Mancunians with memories of days at the zoo may find that
   of interest. Broughton Rangers became Belle Vue Rangers in 1946, but folded
   in 1955.

   United bought the Cliff in 1951 and staged an amateur RL international between
   Britain and France under floodlights in 1952. The lights were later sold to
   Workington FC at Borough Park.

           

   The first photo shows a train passing the old main stand just before the start of
   the last war. That stand is more often seen in pictures after the Luftwaffe had
   finished with it. Despite United's non-entity status in those days, Old Trafford
   looks an impressive arena.
   The post-Munich team group shows:
   Charlton, Goodwin, Gregg, Carolan, Greaves, Cope, Morgans,
   Quixall, Violett, McGuniness, Scanlon.

     1970 1980
    The classic forecourt picture (right) with the souvenir shop before it moved
    across the forecourt (into what was once the Development Association),
    and (left) a view of the Stretford End with a little red hut in the corner, 
    by the Stretford paddock turnstiles. The little red hut was, of course, a
   souvenir outlet. The connection is that before the main souvenir
   shop was built, the little red hut used to stand in its position under the Munich
   clock (when the clock was on the corner).

       TO BE CONTINUED..........