Yes I did go to the tour and the Museum.
I didn't think there would be much to see, but I was wrong.
The Museum is packed to the rafters with Shirts, Medals, Trophies, Videos, Memorabilia and loads more. We got pressed for time and we didn't get to see everything in the museum (about 3 floors - albeit not big floors - of info and stuff on display) but the tour guide certainly made up for it - he has been a tour guide for the past 10 or so years so he knows players habits like the back of his hand.
I have uploaded the photos and shifted through them to keep the best ones and spent all of this morning labeling and adding comments to them. The are in a set in Flickr at this URL:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theskillster/sets/72157600070304119
Something we didn't get to snap was the Player's Lounge where players chill before and after a game. After the game there is a bar inside the lounge which is also open. There is a plaque on the wall there commemorating all the players who have played for United and represented their country, so players like George Best, Beckham, Giggs etc are on there.
Player's Family and Guests are also invited into the room and get to mingle with the players (but come on it is the size of my living room how do you fit 15/16 players and friends+family??) and notably there is a Creche facility for those parents who play at United which is manned by dedicated match day Nannies.
The Player's Guests and Family get to sit just by the tunnel when watching the game (Which on TV Screens is the bottom left part of the pitch), so you will notice alot of the times players will go to that corner and point at someone (C Ronaldo's 2nd Goal vs Roma for instance) and that is usually someone in the Guest area.
There is a mini tunnel leading from the VIP Lounge down past the Director's boxes and onto pitchside where the Manager's sit - this used to be the original tunnel and has not been changed since early 20th Centaury.
The Stadium holds 3 Police cells for any trouble makers within the ground who do anything that cannot be solved by simply throwing them out of the stadium. The local Police take over the CCTV Security center during match days to keep an eye on things.
Before we went on the Tour me and Zam checked out the developing Salford Docks (in Salford Quays, around the corner from Old Trafford).
There is the Lowery Center which houses discount outlets like Nike Warehouse and Cadburys Warehouse. The riverside view was really nice and the bridge you can see in the photo actually rises to let ships through.
Normally on Match days the road leading to Old Trafford (Sir Matt Busby Way) is jammed like a cattle market and there is no traffic allowed through and what is normally a 10 minute walk takes up to 30 minutes to navigate. But you can see the stadium as you near it, you pass the Lancashire County Cricket Club on your way (Old Trafford Cricket Ground) in case you wanted to know where that is.
Tags: Manchester United Old Trafford Tour Museum Salford Quays
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