Thursday, December 31

Birmingham travel guide


Birmingham
FA Premier League
St Andrews
Saturday January 9, kick off 17:30


Tickets
Out of a capacity of 30,016, United got 3,783 tickets in the Gill Merrick Stand behind the goal. All have been sold and posted out.

They cost £33 for adults and £16.50 for over 65s and under 16s.

Home end tickets are still on sale, priced between £23 and £45, depending on what part of the ground you go in. There are currently less than 500 tickets left. Details here.

Weather
The game will be played in freezing temperatures, according to the BBC.
The temperature during the match will be in the region of 0C to -1C. It is expected to be clear during the game, though there will be some light snow in the evening.
Forecasters say there will be no more snow in the days leading up to the match.
It is anticipated that all major roads to the ground and Birmingham city centre will be clear and all train services will be running as normal.
If any problems emerge, we shall post updates.

TV
The match will be shown live on ESPN and ESPN HD with the programme starting at 17:00 and finishing at 19:45.

Travel
We recommend: Get the National Express from Chorlton Street for £8 return, which drops you off a 15-minute walk from the ground and gets you back in Manchester by 21:55.

Car - £25
If you're using a satnav or an internet routeplanner, use the destination postcode B9 4RL.

The journey will cost you £12.50 in petrol each way and takes just short of two hours each way. It's 96 miles from Manchester to the ground.

The basic route is M6 → A38 → A450

Here is a map of the ground and the surrounding roads.

Parking – free
The club car park is small and you will have to arrive very early to get a spot. There's another one on Garrison Lane but it is also small.

The biggest, and most reliable, car park is at the Birmingham Wheels Park at Adderley Road South, Saltley. B8 1AD. It costs £4 per car and is a 10-minute walk to the ground.

But you don't have to pay if you're willing to park an hour before kick off. You'll find street parking in Arsenal Street, Little Green Lane and on Great Wood Road. All are off Cattell Road.

Train - £20.50
A return ticket bought on the day will cost you £28.50.

But, as we've written about recently, you can get cheaper fares if you book in advance. See here for details.

Getting there

Manchester Piccadilly to Birmingham New Street
From 07:07, direct trains leave at 07 and 27 past the hour. Journey time is roughly 90 minutes.

At New Street you've got three options
1.Walk

It's a mile and a half and will take about half an hour.

Follow the signs to Birmingham Moor Street train station and then go on to Park Street.

Follow the road round onto Digbeth High Street and keep walking for ages until you turn right at Coventry Road. The ground is ahead of you.

2.Get the train
The nearest station to the ground is Bordesley (pictured).

But to get there, you have to walk to Birmingham Moor Street train station, then get the train to Small Heath and then change again.




It's a lot of hassle and probably easier to walk it and stop off at pubs along the way. It will also be rammed after the game

3.Get the bus
Walk to Moor Street (as above), which will take a couple of minutes, then get the 12 or 17 from stand ME, the 97 or 97 from stand MS or 57 and 60 from stand M6. It takes about 10 minutes.

4.Get a taxi
It takes about five minutes and costs about £6.

Getting back
The roads around the ground are extremely busy right after the match. Buses can take anything up to an hour to get into Birmingham and the train can take a similar amount of time. It's easier to walk.

Birmingham New Street to Manchester Piccadilly
Direct trains leave at 19:51, 19:57, 20:31, 20:57, 21:57 and 22:31. Journey time is roughly 90 minutes.
An indirect trains via Crewe leave at: 20:20. Journey time is 95 minutes.

Coach - £17
United are running coaches to this game. They leave from the Old Trafford N2 car park at 12:30 and are due return by 20:30. Places cost £23 per person. To book, call the club on 0161 868 8000.

Red Army Travel are running a coach to this game, with places costing £20 per person. For booking details, go here.

The Betty Bus is running to this game, with places costing £17 per person. The coach leaves from Chorlton Street Coach Station at noon and from the Bishop's Blaize pub at 12:15. It will stop off in Broad Street, Birmingham, which has its fair share of boozers. To book your place, email your name and contact number to redsaway@hotmail.co.uk

Public coach - £4
Megabus is running a coach which leaves Shudehill Interchange in Manchester at 07:35 and arrives at The Priory Queensway stop PC in Birmingham (pictured) at 09:35. One way fare is £4.

This is a five-minute walk to both New Street and Moor Street train stations. Both are well signposted. See the train section for details of how to reach the ground from there.

On the way back, the coach leaves from The Priory Queensway stop PC at 20:00 and arrives at Shudehill at 22:00. One way price is £4.

National Express is running coaches between Chorlton Street in Manchester to Digbeth High Street Coach Station in Birmingham (pictured).

On the way there, coaches leave at 07:15, 09:05, 10:10, 11:40 and 12:40, with most of those journeys costing £4 one way. Journey time is two hours and 55 minutes.

The coach stop is a 15-minute walk from the ground. Keep walking towards Bordesley and turn right at Coventry Road. The ground is ahead of you.

On the way back, coaches leave at 20:10 and 22:30. The first takes 105 minutes, the second takes two hours and 45 minutes.

Clich here for a full pub guide.

United in the news


United 5-0 Wigan (Henry Winter, Daily Telegraph)

Although the goals were spread around, Rooney was key, demonstrating why United and England remain so reliant on him.
More.

Fergie hails 'marvellous' Manchester United win (Joe Lovejoy, The Guardian)

"I think the players realised there were goals there to be scored tonight and they took their chance."
More.

United v Wigan player ratings (The Sun)

Tomasz Kuszczak 6, Rafael 7, Wes Brown 6, Nemanja Vidic 6.
More.

Beckford puts Newcastle move on hold to face Man United in the FA Cup (The Mirror)

Beckford is close to striking a deal with Chris Hughton's Championship leaders that will see him move to St James' Park in the transfer window.
More.

A decade of money, power and the amazing influence of Sir Alex Ferguson (Matt Lawton, Daily Mail)

Lawton recalls the defining moments of a decade packed with high-profile imports and cup final dramas.
More.

Wednesday, December 30

AC Milan ticket details released


The ticket office have revaled that United fans are expected to get about 4,500 tickets for the February 16 UEFA Champions League match away to AC Milan.

Executive members, season ticket holders and One United Members will be able to apply from 08:00 on January 22 for four days.

But they must be part of the club's European Travel Club. If you are not a member, you must register by 20:00 on January 19. Details of the club are
here.

Ticket prices are yet to be confirmed, but we expect them to cost in the region of £45 for adults, with 800 or so VIP tickets costing in the region of £80.

The tickets are expected to be in the very top tier of the Curva Nord, shown as blocks 343 to 360 here.

You can apply for tickets
online or by calling United on 0161 868 8000.

If you apply, you can find out on January 27 if you have them.

If you get a ticket, you must complete an online travel report form, available via manutd.com by February 5.
The San Siro holds 80,018 people.

If you have any questions about flights, accommodation or your trip to Milan, email us at redsaway@hotmail.co.uk

A full travel guide will be published in the next few days.

Greater Manchester Police release Leeds match info


Press release in full:


Greater Manchester Police is preparing for the FA Cup encounter between Manchester United and Leeds United at Old Trafford on Sunday 3 January 2010.

Working with both clubs, the FA and West Yorkshire Police, GMP has been planning for several weeks to ensure the fixture is a safe and enjoyable occasion for the tens of thousands of fans expected to watch the game at the stadium.

A substantial policing operation will be in place around the stadium and across Greater Manchester to help genuine fans have an enjoyable and memorable experience.

Superintendent John Graves, who is the match commander, said: "I would like to wish everyone a very happy new year ahead of this exciting FA Cup tie.

"It is the first game of the year for both clubs and a tie that is set to showcase everything that is great about this cup competition.

"It has been several years since these clubs met and is a highly anticipated fixture for both sets of fans.

"Our aim is to help make the occasion a safe and enjoyable one for everyone involved.

"Greater Manchester Police is very experienced at policing football matches and major events, and this game will be no exception.

"We have an extensive operation involving officers and resources from across the Force to both deal with any incidents and offer reassurance to the public."

A key part of GMP's operation is to deter the small minority of people who may travel to the game intending to cause trouble, and to respond to any incidents of disorder or anti-social behaviour quickly and robustly. GMP is urging those without tickets not to travel.

"The availability of alcohol will be substantially restricted within the stadium and across Greater Manchester.

Supt Graves added: "Everyone connected with this event has a responsibility to do all they can to make this a safe and enjoyable occasion, especially local businesses and travel operators.

"In recent weeks we have been asking local pubs and off-licences to limit their sales and opening times, and advising coach operators of the dangers of transporting drunken fans.

"This is not about spoiling anyone's fun but is about ensuring the match passes off safely, enjoyably and without incident. Anyone arriving at the stadium drunk will be refused entry and is likely to be arrested.

"I want to stress that the overwhelming majority of fans are just that - fans who cause no trouble and go purely to enjoy the football and support their team.

"Of the tens of thousands of fans who will be watching the game, it is only a small minority who may try to cause trouble and spoil it for everyone, and we will not hesitate to make arrests of troublemakers.

"The conduct of supporters reflects on the image of their club and this is a great opportunity for fans of both clubs to show the positive side of football."

Due to the sheer volume of fans expected at Old Trafford, traffic delays are unavoidable and while GMP will be working hard to minimise disruption and ensure traffic flow, fans are advised to give themselves extra time to make their way to the ground.

Reds in line for Villa ticked reduction?


Next week, we expect United's ticket office to release details of the ticket allocation for the trip to Villa Park on Wednesday, February 10.

Last season, United got 2,800 tickets - the same number as Liverpool fans got when they played at that ground last year.

But when they played there last night, the scousers only got 2,347 tickets. The explanation was to be found on the
official Liverpool website.

A statement said: “Due to persistent standing by Liverpool supporters at away stadia last season, our ticket allocation has been reduced by the certifying authority who issue Aston Villa’s safety certificate.”

Whether the same thing happens with United remains to be seen.

Price wise, they are expected to cost £43 for adults, £30 for over 65s and £26 for under 16s.

Last season, United fans paid £35 for adults and £21 for over 65s and under 16s.

United in the news


van der Sar given leave after wife suffers brain haemorrhage (Daniel Taylor, The Guardian)

Annemarie van Kesteren has been described as "very poorly" after collapsing on 23 December.
More.

Real plotting Vidic swoop (Tony Little, The Sun)

REAL MADRID are poised to make a £20million end-of-season bid for Manchester United central defender Nemanja Vidic.
More.

Vidic becomes Real Madrid's £20million summer target (Mark Ogden, Daily Telegraph)

Real have identified the Serbia international as their top defensive target.
More.

United planing £20million transfer swoop for French goalkeeper (Alan Nixon, The Mirror)

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson wants to get his hands on France World Cup keeper Hugo Lloris - but will have to pay Lyon £20million for their top shot-stopper.
More.

Sir Alex Ferguson resigned to losing £30m Nemanja Vidic to Real Madrid (James Ducker, The Times)

Nemanja Vidic’s days at Manchester United look increasingly numbered, with Real Madrid confident of signing the Serbia defender in the summer.
More.

Real Madrid prepare £20m swoop for Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic (Daily Mail)

Having signed Cristiano Ronaldo in a world record £80million deal in June, Real now want his former Old Trafford team-mate.
More.

Ferguson happy with two-point deficit (Simon Stone, The Independent)

"I would definitely have taken being two points behind the leaders," said Ferguson.
More.

Tuesday, December 29

Pubs don't have to close for Leeds


Police say they are not forcing landlords of Manchester pubs to shut their pubs on Sunday - but would like them to.

Officers have sent booklets to licensees of pubs near to Old Trafford which talk about public safety ahead of United's FA Cup third round home tie with Leeds.

However, Greater Manchester Police Supt John Graves said the force is not ordering pubs not to sell alcohol.

He said: "We are not ordering anyone not to sell alcohol but have been working closely with Manchester United, Leeds United and licensed premises to make them aware of our concerns.

"We are working to limit the opportunity for people to drink excessively before the game to reduce the impact we know alcohol can sometimes have and to ensure the game passes off peacefully.

"On the whole the responses have been very positive and supportive."

United reveal coach details


The ticket office have released details of coach travel for United's next three away league games.

On Saturday, January 9, kick off 17:30, the reds play Birmingham at St Andews. The coaches leaves at 12:30 and is due to return at 20:30. Places cost £23 per person.

On Sunday January 31, kick off 16:00, they face Arsenal at The Emirates Stadium. The coaches leaves at 09:30am and is due to return at 23:30. Places cost £35 per person.

On Wednesday, February 10, kick off 19:45, United play Aston Villa at Villa Park. The coaches leave at 16:30 and are due to return at 00:30. Places cost £23 per person.

All coaches leave from and return to the N2 car park at Old Trafford. Book by calling United on 0161 868 8000.
Full travel guides for all these games will be published here in the next few days.

United in the news


Nani seeks an end to disappointing stay at Old Trafford (Daniel Taylor, The Guardian)

The Portugal international is exploring the possibilities of a move to Spain or Italy in the January transfer window.
More.

Bellamy praises Rooney (Oliver Holt, The Mirror)

"The guy is phenomenal. When he does something, it is of the highest quality."
More.

Fabio Capello says United’s ‘war machine’ has slowed down (Oliver Kay, The Times)

“Manchester United were a war machine and they have slowed down. Chelsea are fine, but the other teams are getting better — Arsenal and Aston Villa and then those teams further behind."
More.

Monday, December 28

United in the news


Wayne Rooney runs the show as Manchester United overpower Hull (Kevin McCarra, The Guardian)

Wayne Rooney was so irrepressible that he insisted on paving the way for Hull City's goal in the few moments he took off from winning the match for Manchester United.
More.

Fear of Sir Alex Ferguson's reaction drove me on, says Wayne Rooney (Daniel Taylor, The Guardian)

"I didn't want to let down the lads though I was more worried about what the manager might say. But thankfully we got the win, which I'm pleased about because the manager would not have been too pleased."
More.

Fergie - this is a crazy league (Dean Jones, The Sun)

"There are some unusual results going around and come the second half of the season, it's looking like a very tight league.
More.


Mourinho wants the United job: Inter boss snubbed City's millions because he has
his heart set on taking over at Old Trafford
(Bob Cass, Daily Mail)

Sources close to the Portuguese have indicated his Inter contract was only part of the reason for cold-shouldering City. They believe Mourinho's ambition is to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson.
More.

Newcastle's Danny Simpson is thriving on the inspiration of Manchester United old boys (Rob Stewart, Daily Telegraph)

"When you've got the likes of Nicky Butt and Alan Smith, who've been at United and are winners in your squad, it really helps."
More.

Leeds focus on league not Old Trafford (Sam Christie, The Times)

Manager Simon Grayson said: “I’ve stressed that if any player takes their eye off the ball because of the United game, they’ll be at home watching it on TV.”
More.

Sunday, December 27

United in the news


Wayne Rooney targeted as next Real Madrid Galactico (IMscouting.com)

Spanish newspaper Marca has published this outlandish claim today and added that former Manchester United team mate Cristiano Ronaldo is eager to bring Rooney to the Bernabeu.
More.

United fail with Di Maria offer (Tom Lawrence, News of the World)

The reds have had an official bid for Argentina star Angel Di Maria turned down.
More.

Unuted join hunt for Chiellini (Greg Gobere, News of the World)

Fergie wants Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini.
More.

Macheda set for Spanish switch (Aidan Magee, News of the World)

He has not appeared in the League this term and United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is considering a loan request from Zaragoza's caretaker boss Victor Munoz.
More.

United invite Belgian for second trial (Jeremy Butler, News of the World)

Fergie is leading the race to sign Belgian wonderkid Geoffrey Hairemans.
More.

Cats eye move for Newcastle loan star Simpson (Steve Brown, Sunday Sun)

Sunderland are planning to hijack Newcastle’s permanent swoop for Danny Simpson.
More.

Fergie told Darren Ferguson to quit Posh last summer (Peterborough Evening Telegraph)

"I told him it was time for him to leave but he had more faith in his team than I had and sadly it has turned out I was right."
More.

Saturday, December 26

Get to Birmingham for £20.50 - save £8.10


United face Birmingham at St Andrews on Saturday, January 9, kick off 17:30 and, if you buy your train ticket on the day, you'll pay £28.60 for an off peak return.

But if you buy now via National Rail, you can get a return for £21.

On the way there, you can leave Manchester Piccadilly at 11:27, 12:07, 12:27, 13:07, 13:27, 14:07, 14:27 and 15:07 for £10.50 one way.

With a 19:30 finish at the latest anticipated, it will probably take you about 30 minutes to reach Birmingham New Street from the ground.

So if you were to get the 20:20 service to Crewe and then board the 21:19 to Manchester Piccadilly, a single will cost you £10.00.

The direct trains leaving at 19:57 and 21:57 cost £10.50 one way.
Match ticket information is here.

New United blog makes debut


While we took a short break, another United blog popped up, written by a poster called Red Rag.

It's called Red Rag to a Bull and offers the author's thoughts on the reds' recent performances, where we're going right and where we're going wrong.

Give it a read...and a few weeks to develop, as it's just getting off the ground. Here it is.

Fly to Arsenal for £78.40


British Airways and bmi are offering you the chance to get to the Arsenal v United game on Sunday, January 31 for just £10 more than the train.

If you were to buy your train ticket on the day, it would cost you £68.70.

But yet off with British Airways from Manchester t Gatwick on either the 06:40 or 09:00 flight and you can go one way for £39.60.

It then takes 73 minutes by train from Gatwick to Finsbury Park, with one change at London Victoria and regular services throughout the day. The one-way costs fair is £15. From there it's a 10-minute walk to the ground.

The match kicks off at 16:00, giving you plenty of time to reach Heathrow for a 20:55 flight back to Manchester for £38.80 one way with bmi.

All flight times are an hour.

It takes 77 minutes by train from Finsbury Park to Heathrow, with one change at Kings Cross and regular services throughout the evening. The one-way train costs £4.50.

United in the news


Serbian flop Zoran Tosic set for Manchester United exit (Alan Nixon, The Mirror)

Manchester United are trying to get rid of Serbian flop Zoran Tosic (pictured right) - and will let him go in the transfer window if they get the right offer.
More.

Your hat trick was not enough (Dean Jones, The Sun)

MICHAEL OWEN'S recent Euro hat-trick has FAILED to boost his World Cup hopes.
More.

Rio fears World Cup agony (Neil Custis, The Sun)

RIO FERDINAND could see his World Cup dream shattered.
More.

Sir Alex Ferguson: I’ll outlast 20 Manchester City managers (James Ducker, The Times)

“Fourteenth? Is that all?” Ferguson said when the subject of Mancini and his predecessors as City manager was raised. “I can’t wait for the twentieth.”

Landlord introduces charity swear box (Marc Meneud, Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Tony Sheridan, 70, of Haworth, said: “We insist on one pound for a swear word and £3 if you mention Manchester United."
More.

Friday, December 25

Thursday, December 24

Birmingham home-end tickets still on sale


Home-end tickets for United's January 9 trip to Birmingham are now on sale.

Adult prices range from £23 in the Family Stand to £45 in the upmarket Club Class area.

United fans will share the Gill Merrick Stand with home fans. Ballot results for away-end tickets are available now.

In the lower tier of that stand, home-end tickets will cost £33 for adults, £16.50 for over 65s, under 16s and students aged under 22 with an NUS card, and £9 for under 12s.

You can book online
here, but you have to register first. Or you can call 08 44 55 71 875 and choosing option 2.

A full travel and pub guide will be published here in the next few days.

Looking back - and looking forwards


Thankfully, the updating problems we've had in the last few weeks are now behind us and normal service should be resumed.
In the coming days, we'll bring you all the ticket and travel news, including latest flight and hotel information for the AC Milan trip.

And, all being well, at some time in January, www.redsaway.com will launch - a properly designed website taking over the baton of this blog, though we'll keep the blog up for reference purposes as long as needed.

The resumption of service gives us a chance to showcase a couple of photos from the Wolfsburg trip, courtesy of Cal Gildart.

If you would like us to display your United matchday photos, feel free to email them to redsaway@hotmail.co.uk

Hull travel and pub guide


Hull City
Sunday May 24, kick off 16:00
KC Stadium
Barclays Premier League


Tickets

Out of a capacity of 25,500, United fans have got 2,100 tickets in the North Stand. That's 350 fewer tickets than last season.

They cost £32 for adults, £20 for over 65s and £17 for under 16s. Last season, it was £24.50 for adults and £14.50 for over 65s and under 16s.

These have all been sold and posted out.

Weather

According to the
BBC, Sunday will be one of the best days of the week, weatherwise.

For once, the temperature will climb above freezing, and will be about 3C/37F during the match.

The sun will be out and, all being well all the snow will have cleared. There is no danger of the match being off.


TV
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports HD1 with the show starting at 15:30 and ending at 18:30.

Travel

Car - £22
If you're driving to the game and using a satnav or an internet route planner like our favourite
Greenflag one, use the destination postcode HU3 6HU.

Getting to the stadium really couldn't be simpler. It's basically 'straight for 90 minutes then three lefts'.

Join the M62 and follow it eastbound to its end. Then keep going down the A63 over the Humber Bridge (pictured above) into Hull City Centre.


After going over a flyover, you'll come to a diamond-shaped junction. Turn left onto Ferensway and drive past the train station (pictured left) on your left.

Then when you get to the junction where the Hull Daily Mail offices and the Campanile Hotel are in front of you, turn left onto Spring Bank West and then take a left onto Walton Street.

The journey takes roughly 100 minutes each way and will cost about £11 each way in petrol.

Parking - free

If you park on the stadium car parks, it can take anything up to an hour to get off it at the end of the game.

We recommend you park free nearer the town centre and take a 20-minute walk to the ground.

One good spot to park is the Netto car park. You can pretty much park there for free all day.

When you reach the Hull Daily Mail offices, keep going (onto Berveley Road) for about 500 yards and you'll see Netto on the left. Alternatively there are many free s
treet parking places on that road.

The beauty of this spot is you can just drive straight back in the opposite direction to the way you arrived on the way home for quick access to the A63 ad M62.

Train - £32.40

Manchester Piccadilly to Hull

Direct trains take just over two hours.


But there aren't many services available. A £32.40 ticket will get you a return with the following times to choose from (direct services in bold):

Going:
Leave Manchester Piccadilly: 09:09
Arrive Hull: 11:18
Journey: 2:09

Leave Manchester Piccadilly: 10:42
Arrive Leeds: 11:37
Leave: 12:00
Arrive Doncaster: 12:28
Leave: 12:55
Arrive Hull: 13:48
Journey: 3:06


Leave Manchester Piccadilly: 10:11
Arrive Leeds: 11:03
Leave: 11:40
Arrive Doncaster: 12:09
Leave: 12:24
Arrive Hull: 13:23
Journey: 3:16

Leave Manchester Piccadilly: 11:57
Arrive Hull: 14:00
Journey: 2:05

Leave Manchester Piccadilly: 12:10
Arrive Leeds: 13:04
Leave: 13:40
Arrive Doncaster: 14:09
Leave: 14:21
Arrive Hull: 15:16
Journey: 3:10

Once you arrive at the station turn right, walk down for five minutes til you reach Spring Bank, turn left and turn left again at Walton Street.

The stadium is ahead of you in about 800 yards. The route is well signposted.

Coming back
Leave Hull: 18:58
Arrive Manchester Piccadilly: 20:54
Journey: 1:56


Leave Hull: 21:00
Arrive Leeds: 21:59
Leave: 22:40
Arrive Manchester Piccadilly: 23:36
Journey: 2:36



Coach
United are running coaches to this game but all tickets are sold out.

The Betty Bus is running to the game, all places have been taken. The bus leaves from Chorlton Street Coach Station at 10:30 and the Bishops Blaize pub in Chester Road at 10:45.

Red Army Travel is running a coach to this game, with places costing £20 per person. It leaves the Bishops Blaiza at 11:30. For departure times and booking details, go here. At the time of writing, there are ten spaces left.

Pubs
Avoid: The Silver Cod and the Linnet and Lark, as these are home fans' only pubs where reds won't get the best welcome.

With this being one of the newer grounds, there aren't many pubs to write home about near it - and the ones that are tend to be old and not very welcoming of away fans.


So we recommend you stick to either near the train statiom or near the Beverley Road/Spring Bank area, where the best parking spots are to be had.

There are two decent Wetherspoons pubs worth a mention.
The Three John Scotts, at Alfred Gelder Street, Lowgate, in the city centre (the second pub down pictured), which has a good atmosphere though it tries to be a bit too upmarket.

It's open from 9am and does a good breakfast.



To get there from the train station, walk straight up onto Paragon Street or Carr Lane and follow the road round til to the right, then turn left onto Lowgate.

Nearer the best (free) parking spots, there is another Wetherspoons bar, the Zachariah Pearson, at 386 Beverley Road (the first pub down pictured), near Netto. It's open from 9am.

Remember, Wetherspoons don't let you in with team colours on matchdays.


Further down Beverley Road towards Ferensway and towards the stadium is Lamp (the third pub down pictured) tucked in next to the Campanile Hotel.

It's a perfect bar if you want somewhere out of the way to enjoy a quiet pint minus the crowds.

Nearer still to the ground is the Spring Bank Tavern at 29 Spring Bank (pictured right), just off Ferensway. Home fans do drink here, but are generally tolerant of away supporters.

Wherever you drink in the city, it's a fairly cheap pint compared to Manchester. Expect to pay about £2.50 for a pint of lager.




United in the news


Sir Alex Ferguson leads tributes to Albert Scanlon (Rory Smith, Daily Telegraph)

"It is easy for me to conjure up the ghosts," said Albert Scanlon, Busby Babe, on the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster last year.
More.

Ferguson rules out January transfers (The Independent)

Sir Alex Ferguson has ruled out making new signings to ease his defensive injury crisis.
More.

Villa alerts top Prem Clubs (The Sun)

David Villa has alerted Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool by revealing he would welcome a move to the Premier League.
More.

Diouf gets United green light (The Sun)

Mame Biram Diouf is set to feature for Manchester United next year after he was granted a work permit.
More.

Star pleads for January move to Newcastle (Simon Bird, The Mirror)

Danny Simpson has urged Newcastle to sign him permanently from Manchester United.
More.

Tuesday, December 1

Updating problems


Here at Reds Away Towers, we're encountering a few technological hiccups which will make it hard to update the blog in the coming days.

That will probably mean all the hard work put in researching next week's Wolfsburg trip will be going to waste.

But if you've got any specific queries about your trip to Germany, feel free to email redsaway@hotmail.co.uk

In the meantime, you might want to access some fantastic city guides from the Ryanair website here.

There are separate guides to Bremen, Berlin and Hamburg and they come in the form of a printable PDF file.

Finally, if you're spending time in Hamburg on Monday, the meeting point we suggest is Finnegan's Wake Irish bar, which is right in the centre a stone's throw away from Rathaus Metro Station. Here is a map and here is the pub website.

Tube system in good shape for West Ham trip


None of the London Underground lines that we advise reds use on the way to West Ham will be hit by engineering works on Saturday.

The Waterloo and City Line will be fully closed and the Metropolitan and Jubilee Lines will be partly closed, but none of the routes United supports will take will be disrupted.

For a full travel guide to the match, go here.
We'll publish a pub guide tomorrow.

Betty bus full for West Ham


The Betty Bus going to United's match with West Ham on Saturday is now fully booked.

It will leaves from Chorlton Street Coach Station at 06:30 and from the Bishops Blaize pub in Chester Road at 06:45.

If you are still looking to book a place on a coach to the game, try United.

The club is running coaches to the game. Places cost £35 per person and the coaches will leave from the Old Trafford N2 car park at 08:30.The estimated return time is 21:30. To reserve your place, call the ticket office on 0161 868 8000.

Otherwise, try Red Army Travel, which is running a coach.

Places cost £30 per person and it leaves from the Spread Eagle Pub in Royal Green Rd, Northenden. Times to be confirmed. To book, call 0161 998 4455 or 07545 39 1999 or email prem@redarmytravel.com

Heavy rain forecast for West Ham game


Reds travelling down to East London to see United take on West Ham on Saturday should prepare for rain.

According to the BBC, there will be heavy rain throughout the day across the capital.

However, it will be a pretty decent 9C/48F during the game.

Friday, November 27

Untied in the news


Gary Neville: Liverpool don't deserve to be in the Champions League (Daniel Taylor, The Guardian)

"Well, you get what you deserve as a team, don't you?" the former England international replied when it was pointed out to him that Benítez's team would not be joining United, Chelsea and Arsenal in the knockout phase.
More.

Vidic dismisses claims that he is unhappy at Old Trafford (Simon Stone, The Independent)

"I have never said I want to go and play in another country. Other people have spoken or written about it and I am not happy with that." More.

Vidic deal delay alerts Barca (Neil Custis, the Sun)

Nemanja Vidic has been told to forget about a new contract until 2011.
And that could spark a summer move to Barcelona.
More.

Liverpool and Tottenham on alert as former Manchester United striker admits he'd like to return to England (Nick Ive, The Mirror)

Former Manchester United flop Diego Forlan would relish a return to the Premier League.
More.

Sir Alex Ferguson has title in his sights as Manchester United's rival stars set to miss 10 games on African adventure (Ian Ladyman and Matt Barlow, Daily Mail)

The Old Trafford manager will be licking his lips at the prospect of Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal heading for a club-versus-country row over FIFA rules which could see them lose players to the Africa Cup of Nations from the end of December – much longer than was first thought.
More.

Thursday, November 26

Heavy rain for Portsmouth trip


According to the BBC, there will be heavy rain in Fratton when United take on Portsmouth. The temperature will be roughly 9C/48F

Portsmouth pub guide

In truth, a 15:00 kick off probably won't give you much time to enjoy a pre-match pint, but for those of you that are looking for a tipple, here a few suggestions.

The pub that will get most packed out with reds is The Shepherd’s Crook, at 107 Goldsmith Avenue. It's
a five-minute walk to the ground.

It's got one fairly large main room with standing room only and the bar staff serve pretty quickly.

It opens at 11:30am and will probably pack out by about 13:30, so expect to be out in the cold in the front 'beer garden' if you arrive after that.

Carling and Carlsberg costs £2.80 a pint, Stella is £3.20 and Guinness is £3.10.


If you fancy somewhere a bit quieter, venture a little further from the ground to the Brewers Arms, at 170 Milton Road.


It's a small, welcoming pub, with sandwiches for sale behind the bar

You can choose from Stella, Kronenberg, Guinnness. Carlsberg and Fosters. It also offers London Pride and bottled Becks and Peroni.

Also near the ground is Good Companion, at 2 Eastern Road, which attracts both home and away fans in two large rooms.


There's a big screen TV for anyone who wants to catch the early kick off between Northwich Victoria and Lincoln City on ITV1.


You'll get serve pretty quickly at the bar and on offer is Carling, Fosters, Stella and Becks £2.80 as well as Guinness and IPA, all under £3.


They also do a wide-ranging menu, with meals priced at about £6. It opens at 11:00.
The Connaught Arms at 119 Guildford Road is also worth a shout.

Avoid the Newcombe Arms, as it's a partisan home-fan pubs.

You will find cash machines by the Tesco on Goldsmith Avenue near the Shepherd's Crook and a Nationwide Building Society one at the Total garage on Milton Road, just down from the Brewers Arms.


For a full travel guide, click here.

United in the news


Youth clubbed - Fergie's kids taught a lesson (The Sun)

ALEX FERGUSON saw his youth clubbed as Besiktas stole the points at Old Trafford.
More.

Manchester United's next generation still have plenty to prove (Paul Wilson, The Guardian)

Some good news for Liverpool at last. Manchester United's kids were not quite good enough to make finishing on top of Group B look easy.
More.

Manchester United turn to £11m Danish defender Simon Kjaer to replace unsettled Nemanja Vidic (Neil Moxley, Daily Mail)

Sir Alex Ferguson has identified Denmark international Simon Kjaer (pictured) as the replacement for Manchester United’s unsettled defender Nemanja Vidic.
More.

Dzeko set to snub Prem trio (The Sun)

The Bosnian striker was linked with Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal after smashing 26 goals in the Bundesliga last season.
More.

Sir Alex Ferguson denies Manchester United move for Russian keeper (The Mirror)

He has denied he will make a January bid for CSKA Moscow goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev.
More.

Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor is good enough for Man Utd, says Alexander Hleb (Ewing Grahame, Daily Telegraph)

Stuttgart playmaker Alexander Hleb offered words of consolation to Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor in the wake of the 2-0 defeat at Ibrox.
More.

Wednesday, November 25

Save £12.20 on your train to Birmingham


United face Birmingham at St Andrews on Saturday, January 9, kick off 17:30 and, if you buy your train ticket on the day, you'll pay £28.70 for an off peak return.

But if you buy now via Virgin Trains, you can get a return for £16.50.

With a 19:30 finish at the latest anticipated, it will probably take you about 30 minutes to reach Birmingham New Street from the ground.

So if you were to get the 20:20 service to Crewe and then board the 21:19 to Manchester Piccadilly, a single will cost you £6.50.

Practically every direct train from Manchester to Birmingham currently costs £10 single.
Match ticket information is here.

Betty Bus full for Portsmouth trip


There are no places left on the Betty Bus for this Saturday's trip to Portsmouth.

Places still remain for the Saturday, December 5 trip to West Ham. They cost £35 per person.

The coach will leave from Chorlton Street Coach Station at 06:30 and from the Bishops Blaize pub in Chester Road from 06:45.

Bookings are now also being taken for the Saturday, December 19 trip to Fulham. Places cost £35 per person.
The coach will leave from Chorlton Street Coach Station at 06:30 and from the Bishops Blaize pub in Chester Road from 06:45.

To book, email your name and contact number to redsaway@hotmail.co.uk

Fans choose new design for OT banner

The votes are in and the results are out. This will be the new banner that will adorn the Stretford End from mid-December onwards.


The design got the most votes when supporters' group Stretford End Flags
asked people who had donated to the group to choose which was the best out of three banners created by reds from all over the world.

A SEF spokesman said: "The banner received 58 per cent of the vote.

"It will now be mad and will be positioned on the front of the Stretford End.

"The line up of banner son the Stretford End will now be: City Ticker, One Love - Stretford End, The Flowers of Manchester, MANCHESTER IS MY HEAVEN and Lest Us Forget.

"All of the banners will be predominantly black, with only the one Love banner having half red.

"We will now consult members over the background colour of the new banner."

"We will try and obtain mock ups for a red, white and black background."

United n the news


Nemanja Vidic exit looming (Ian Ladyman, Daily Mail)

Despite the 28-year-old Serbian denying suggestions earlier this year that his wife Ana was unhappy in England, it remains the case that the couple do have an eye on a move to southern Europe — in all likelihood Spain.
More.

Sir Alex Ferguson fears he could lose Nemenja Vidic to Barcelona and Real Madrid (James Ducker, The Times)

Jack Rodwell, the Everton utility player, has been identified by United as a star of the future.
More.

Alan Wiley decides not to sue Sir Alex Ferguson for defamation (The Guardian)

Alan Wiley has decided against suing Sir Alex Ferguson for defamation but has expressed his "bitter disappointment" at the Manchester United manager's verbal attack on his fitness.
More.

Utd’s Harg is still alive ’n kicking (Neil Custis, The Sun)

Owen Hargeaves has kicked his first ball in anger after more than a year out.
More.

Sir Alex Ferguson in the dark over the future of Manchester United keeper Edwin van der Sar (Daily Mail)

'I don't know his plans,' said the United chief. 'When you get to that age and have a young family, there are a lot of things to consider.
More.

Injury-jinxed Wes is still best (Neil Custis, The Sun)

"I'm delighted to have him back because I know the experience he can bring to the back four," Ferguson said.
More.

West Ham determined to keep Cole (The Independent)

The England hit-man has been linked with a move away in the January transfer window, with Liverpool and Manchester United reportedly showing interest.
More.

Tuesday, November 24

United in the news


Manchester United and Chelsea miss out on teenage defender Nicolai Boilesen (Daily Mail)

Manchester United and Chelsea have missed out on Brondby's highly-rated Danish defender Nicolai Boilesen after the 17-year-old agreed to join Ajax.
More.

Time for Ant to deck ‘em (The Sun)

Alex Ferguson has told Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia to shoot on sight.
More.

Stars too thick to buy a fridge (Paul Jiggins, The Sun)

Gary Neville has blasted the Premier League's multi-millionaire stars for stupidly wasting money on agents.
More.

Darren Fletcher: Manchester United can be stronger without Ronaldo (David Anderson, The Mirror)

"Hopefully we can become a more-rounded team and other players will raise their game to cover the gap left by his absence."
More.