Not been working on the Hardy Lane Scrapbook having come across information for my other history project which is "The Manchester Football Ground". This is one that has been simmering for a couple of years. The ground was in Whalley Range and was home of Manchester Football Club, which is still playing as Manchester Rugby Club. Back in the 1870's - 1890's there was football and you played either Association or Rugby Union rules, and sometimes your club would field teams in either code.
It's a fascinating story in that all the leading players of the era turned out at a ground that could hold a maximum of 10,000 in a suburb of Manchester. Internationals were staged, teams from Scotland and New Zealand played friendlies, and local sides like Newton Heath FC and Hurst FC met in cup competitions. That later two are better known by other names now...
Normal service resumes next week.
