It is a sizable matchday tavern with a lot of historical significance. It’s highly recognizable.
There was a hub of red-washed activity on the corner of Chester Road in Trafford at 10 a.m. on Saturday, exactly five hours before Manchester United and Brighton were scheduled to play at Old Trafford.
While the supporters are clearly out to show off their team in style, they are also there to celebrate the bar in Trafford, a popular hangout for Reds, having returned after a brief closure.
Fans had previously worried that the tavern, which has been a fixture for years, had fully shut down last month when the shutters were removed from the building. However, it was a transient addition as the facility changed hands.
The Hawk in Wigan, The Rising Sun in Hazel Grove, and The Station in Altrincham are just a few of the establishments that Blind Tiger Inns, the new owners of the property, have opened their doors to.
“This is our first match day today and there will be plenty more to come,” says Nick Buckle, Operations Manager at Blind Tiger Inns, with pride as a sea of spectators line up outside the stadium to enter.
“We’ve given it an exceptionally good clean, and we’ve made sure the beer lines are all of good quality – we’re back open.”
While the Trafford is already reopened and has huge plans for the bar, service for the pre-game pint is business as usual. At least for the time being.
Because we just wanted to get the property open for business and see what the fans wanted, Nick explains, “We haven’t done any kind of refurbishment yet. It needs to return to being the excellent, Red pub that it once was.
Those who worry that a redesign may disrupt tradition should rest easy knowing that the bar will continue to be family-friendly and only open on home game days. According to Blind Tiger, which also manages The Park View pub in Burnley, which is situated directly across from Turf Moor, they will use their experience managing football pubs to ensure that The Trafford remains a success.
It’s a sizable game-day tavern with a lot of historical significance. It’s pretty well-known. As the company’s 20th pub, Blind Tiger Inns wants to analyze the market and choose its future course of action.
“It’s obvious that everyone here adores the pub; just by counting the amount of people here, you can tell. The following two games will likely draw even more people because we haven’t even been able to fully publicize that we’re reopening yet.
The mood is tangible inside, though, as the start time approaches. Both inside and in the beer garden, fans are yelling, singing, and cheering for one another.
Indeed, a well-known refrain goes, “We’ve seen it all. We’ve come out on top. The chant, “We’re Man United and we’re never gonna stop,” reverberates around the space so loudly that those walking by on their way to Old Trafford can recognize the words and join in.
“People have been loving the fact that they can get back there, sing and chant, and have a good drink,” Nick continues.
There are small clusters of various locations where people are all singing and chanting, and the atmosphere is quite welcoming. Instead of merely cans, we now have draft beer. It just has a great feeling and seems very welcoming and safe.
