Old Trafford, Greater Manchester

Old Trafford is an area of Stretford, in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, 2mi southwest of Manchester city centre. The crossroads sites of two old toll gates roughly delineate the borders of the area: Brooks's Bar to the east and Trafford Bar to the west.Old Trafford is the site of two major sporting venues: Old Trafford football stadium, home of Manchester United F.C., and Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket Club. These are at either end of Warwick Road, two parts of which have been renamed Brian Statham Way (formerly Warwick Road) and Sir Matt Busby Way (formerly Warwick Road North). The interconnecting strip of road between retains the name Warwick Road, and the southern section on the other side of the Metrolink line is called Warwick Road South. Clare Hartwell in her book Buildings of Manchester & South East Lancashire suggests Old Trafford is "part of Manchester functionally and visually and the boundary, south west of the Manchester centre, is nowhere noticeable".HistoryOld Trafford was a crossing point over the River Irwell in ancient times. The name Old Trafford possibly derives from the time when there were two Trafford Halls, Old Trafford Hall and New Trafford Hall. The old hall was close to what is now the White City Retail Park, and was said to have been the home of the de Trafford family since 1017, until the family moved to the new hall in what is now Trafford Park, some time between 1672 and 1720. The name of the area around Old Trafford Hall may subsequently have become shortened to Old Trafford. The old hall was demolished in 1939.