Photo: Bomb damaged Old Trafford football field, pictured shortly after World War II in September 1945. (c) Mirrorpix
Our main picture this week shows war damage from Luftwaffe bombs Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United. The date is September 1945.
The site was confiscated as a depot at the beginning of the war in 1939, but football continued to be played until a raid on Trafford Park on December 22, 1940 forced the stadium to close.
]Christmas against Stockport County had to be moved to Edgeley Park.
Game operations at Old Trafford resumed on March 8, 1941, until three days later another bomb attack destroyed much of the stadium and devastated the south stand – now the Sir Bobby Charlton stand.
Bomb damaged Old Trafford football field, pictured shortly after World War II September 1945. (C) Mirrorpix
The War Damage Commission gave grants to clear the rubble and rebuild the stands, while United could play their home games at Manchester City’s Maine Road site.
Old Trafford has finally reopened in 1949, although the stands were still without covers.
The first game on August 24th was a 3-0 win over local rivals Bolton Wanderers in front of 41,748 spectators.
The United scorers that day were Charlie Mitten and Jack Rowley, as well as an own goal by Bolton.
Manager Matt Busby His side would finish fourth in the First Division and advance to the sixth round of the FA Cup, where they lost 2-0 to Chelsea.
Barriers were erected at Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium after the club tried to enter a super league with teams from Europe. (C) mirror pixel
Our modern picture of May 2021 shows Sir Bobby Charlton’s booth behind additional safety barriers installed during the Covid pandemic as a result of protests against the recent Super League proposal.
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* Many more pictures from then and now are in The changing face of Manchester published on the occasion of 150th anniversary of MEN
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