search
date/time
Yorkshire Times
A Voice of the Free Press
frontpagebusinessartscarslifestylefamilytravelsportsscitechnaturefictionCartoons
Graham Clark
Music Features Writer
@Maxximum23Clark
10:25 PM 8th August 2019
lifestyle

Hotel Football Becomes A Tourist Attraction

 
It's not often that a hotel becomes a tourist attraction in itself but Hotel Football situated alongside Manchester United's Old Trafford ground is just that. Apparently fans from around the world including ones from this side of the Pennines have regularly stayed at the hotel that overlooks the "Theatre of Dreams".

I stayed In the Class of 92 room - they have tried to create a place where some of the most memorable moments in football are shared.

Room 692
Room 692
From the first time that a United shirt was worn, to the first winners medals in 1996 to the 1999 when against all odds they managed to win the treble, all is well documented. I don't think I have ever slept with a pair of Ryan Giggs' football boots housed in a frame over the headboard!

Ultimately the room did feel and look rather masculine though the large double bed provided a good night's sleep. The complimentary fridge was well stocked with drinks and sweets that were all locally made - if you are a fan of Vimto you will be impressed.

View from bedroom
View from bedroom
With a coffee maker installed, quick free Wi Fi and an ample sized bathroom, plus a view from the room that overlooks the ground it was plenty to cheer about.

Cafe Football
Cafe Football
The on site restaurant, Cafe Football is situated on the ground floor. There was something quite divine though about watching a live Leeds United match on the huge TV screens with the backdrop of the Old Trafford club. Unfortunately Leeds lost the qualifying match and dashed any hopes of playing in the "Theatre of Dreams" this coming season.

The menu is cleverly football themed so the starters are described as The Warm Up, the sides are now Throw-Ins and you can Hit The Sweet Spot with the ice creams for dessert.

My "warm up" was the Chipolata Sausages served with mustard mayonnaise. As meaty as a Yorkshire vs Lancashire football game they came with a good kick too.

Besides burgers and pizzas there are classic dishes too such as Cumberland sausages with mash and onion gravy which is described as "Giggsy's"

The Special One Burger
The Special One Burger
Things were going well until I decided upon my main. The Special One is one of their best selling burgers. Consisting of char-grilled chicken Piri Piri, red onion, Memphis cream, baby gem and goats cheese, I was really looking forward to what seemed to be a wonderful temptation but did it hit the back of the net?

The chicken itself was as tough as an old (football) boot and the fat cut chips I ordered must have been on a diet as they came as skinny fries. The fat cut chips did eventually arrive after I had a word with my server about the mix up. I did notice on other tables that a lot of food had been left over on the plates.

Strawberry Sundae
Strawberry Sundae
Things vastly improved with my Strawberry Sundae, priced at £6.00 the mixture of strawberry ice cream, vanilla ice cream, fresh strawberries, shortbread, whipped cream and strawberry sauce. A home win definitely.

Breakfast is also served in Cafe Football with a generous continental section and a cooked to order English breakfast by an English chef, who knew his stuff and cooked things to perfection, pity he wasn't on the pitch the previous night to cook my burger!

Cafe Football
Cafe Football
After all this food you can lose the excess weight in the gym on site. The free enclosed car park is just across the road, though you have to negotiate a busy intersection to park there.

For me it was a game of two halves in that the hotel itself is, even to a non football fan a fascinating place, but the food in the restaurant was very mixed in the evening. However breakfast was top of its league. Who knows even Leeds United might top their respective league this season with promotion automatic to the Premiership!

Hotel Football, 99 Sir Matt Busby Way, Old Trafford, Manchester M16 0SZ
www.hotelfootball.com
Telephone 0161 751 0430