Every September, crowds of nervous freshers – many feasting their eyes on Fallowfield for the first time – can be seen lugging boxes of pots and pans into Owens Park, nodding nervously at their potential new flatmates in the corridors.
This ageing student accommodation block has been a staple of Manchester University since the sixties.
During that time, it’s housed thousands of students. But it’s also been the site of one of the city’s notorious competitions: The Tower Challenge.
Within days, or maybe even, hours, of moving into Owens Park, many students decide to enrol in the infamous contest, which involves scampering from floor to floor as fast you can whilst gulping down a shot of alcohol on each level (16 in total).
The outcome is never pretty. But Fallowfield is used to that. This patch of land was hosting chaotic competitions long before the students moved in.
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Over 100 years ago, Fallowfield had its very own stadium – and in 1893 it was chosen as the venue for the FA Cup Final.
On paper, hosting such an occasion is a proud feat for the Manchester suburb. But in reality, FA Cup football at Fallowfield Stadium was much like the Tower Challenge – wrong-headed, dangerous and pretty disastrous all round.
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Fallowfield Stadium / Credit: Wikipedia
Fallowfield Stadium was constructed in 1892 – built with terraces, a pavilion and a single stand, with a running track around the outskirts.
According to historian Simon Inglis – the author of the excellent ‘Played In Manchester’ – it could fit about 15,000 fans “at most.”
Opened by Manchester Athletic Club, Fallowfield Stadium quickly settled into its role as a major sports venue – and within a year the FA had selected the ground as the site for football’s biggest game: The FA Cup final.
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Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers arrived in Manchester to compete for the prestigious trophy on 25 March 1893. And so did tens of thousands of others.
The official attendance that day – 45,000 – put the crowd at three times the stadium’s capacity. Although other reports suggest there might have been as many as 60,000 in the ground on the day.
The overcrowding, unsurprisingly, created problems right from the off – with the sheer volume of spectators leading to a kick-off delay.
Given the largely flat structure at Fallowfield, many struggled to get a good view of the game, stirring a restlessness that saw the crowd spill over onto the playing surface.
The teams had to restrict football to the middle of the pitch for fear of tumbling over spectators’ feet, and when the final whistle went to signal a 1-0 victory for Wolves, Everton angrily declared the environment was not fit for a competitive match.
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They had a strong argument, but their demand for a rematch fell on deaf ears.
Despite the trouble that day, Wolves have fonder memories of Fallowfield Stadium.
Over at their own ground, Molineux, the Midlands club have a corporate hospitality suite named the ‘Fallowfield Lounge’ – paying testament to the location in which they lifted the FA Cup for the first time.
Fallowfield Stadium continued to host high-level competitive sport after Wolves’ big win, too.
An England vs Scotland rugby game took place at the ground in 1897, along with two Northern Union Challenge Cup rugby league finals in 1899 and 1900.
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In fact, the British football body decided to give the ground another big fixture in 1899 – the FA Cup Semi-Final between Sheffield United and Liverpool.
The pair came into the tie deadlocked, having drawn 2-2 in their first game and 4-4 in the replay.
A second replay was scheduled at Fallowfield Stadium, and following two enthralling encounters, demand to see the Semi was high.
But no lessons had been learned.
The crowd on this occasion was so big a crush ensued, leading to the game being abandoned with Liverpool up 1-0 at the time.
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Student match at Fallowfield Stadium in 1985; with the Owens Park tower block looming above in the distance / Credit: Wikipedia
The second replay was instead moved to Derby County’s Baseball Ground, where Sheff Utd won 1-0 – and then went on to thump Derby themselves 4-1 in the final at Crystal Palace two weeks later.
It is unconfirmed as to whether there were any major injuries in the failed Semi-Final in Manchester, but the debacle put an end to elite football in Fallowfield regardless.
Instead, the stadium found its niche as a spot for athletics and cycling – used regularly by The Manchester Wheelers.
Student footballers also toughed it out on the turf, but as the surroundings began to deteriorate, the university gobbled up the ground.
Pro cycling ended in 1974, and after a few more years of amateur use, Fallowfield Stadium was demolished in 1994.
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In its place, a brand new set of student halls was built: Richmond Park.
Today, the area is ripe for a fresh burst of development.
The rumours are that close neighbour Owens Park – and its Tower Challenge – will also be gone forever in due course (although plans for renovation have been plagued by postponements).
Still, with Fallowfield’s fascinatingly bizarre history as a contest venue, you can’t help but wonder what sort of topsy-turvy tournament might come next…
Learn more about the history of Manchester stadia by reading Simon Inglis’ Played In Manchester – It’s available online here.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
Sport
Manchester City youngster Nico O’Reilly earns surprise England call-up
Danny Jones
Manchester City youngster Nico O’Reilly has earned himself a surprise England call-up for this upcoming international break.
The impressive young utility player, who has been deployed as both a defender and a midfielder under Pep Guardiola, has proved to be a popular member of the squad among Man City fans.
A north Manchester-born academy product, O’Reilly has represented the Three Lions throughout various age groups across the youth level, but this England camp will be his first senior call-up.
Yet another local lad flying the flag for 0161 in the national team.
The 20-year-old arrived at St George’s Park on Monday afternoon along with a number of ther young English stars such as Myles Lewis-Skelly, Elliot Anderson, Jarrel Quansash, who have recently been integrated by national team boss, Thomas Tuchel.
O’Reilly has been added to the squad following the withdrawal of fellow defender Reece James, with the Chelsea fullback having picked up yet another injury in the Premier League.
As detailed by England Football: “The Chelsea captain sustained an injury playing for his club over the weekend and has been ruled out of England’s October internationals following medical assessments.”
With O’Reilly able to play not only in defence but on either flank, as he has already done in Guardiola’s ever-fluid system, the versatile Man City rotation player isn’t just looking more and more like a first-team star but could soon be a capped England international.
Looking forward to seeing more of this on the big stage:
As you can see, Pep has continued to deploy him in even the biggest of games, and it seems as though he’s clearly impressed Tuchel enough to make him first in the queue to replace James.
Rightly so, we’d hasten to add; it remains to be seen whether or not he will feature in the two upcoming fixtures against Wales and Latvia.
Commenting on the moment of recognition, City expressed their pride and congratulations, insisting that the decision “also helps further cement what has been a quite magnificent start to the season for the 20-year-old” in which he’s already made nine first-team appearances across all competitions.
That now makes the number of Greater Manchester-born/based players in the current England squad to four (just one of those being from Man United in Barcelona loanee Marcus Rashford) – an admittedly smaller number than we’ve come to expect over the years.
Nico O’Reilly signed a fresh new deal at Manchester City just last month.
English rugby legend Lewis Moody reveals MND diagnosis
Danny Jones
Much-loved English rugby legend Lewis Moody has revealed his heartbreaking MND (motor neuron disease) diagnosis.
The Leicester Tigers and Bath icon, who was captain of the Rugby World Cup-winning England squad back in 2003, unfortunately announced to the world that he is now suffering from MND, also known as ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis).
Moody, 47, is just the latest well-known rugby player to have developed the progressive neurological disorder, with both former players and others being forced to retire due to the condition.
The Ascot-born rugby union veteran has admitted that the news has come as a ‘sudden shock’ to him and his family, but has been left moved by the overwhelming wave of positivity he has received since making the health update public.
We are deeply saddened to hear the news of Lewis Moody's MND diagnosis and join the entire rugby community in getting behind Lewis and his family at this extremely difficult time ❤️ pic.twitter.com/46doNRQFvq
Sharing a lengthy message online, Moody wrote: “I’m writing to share some tough news. I have recently been diagnosed with ALS, also known as Motor Neurone Disease (MND). This has been incredibly hard to process and a huge shock to me and my family.
“I feel fit and well in myself, and I’m focused on staying positive, living life and dealing with the changes / will experience as they come.
“I am being well supported by my family, friends and medical professionals, and I’m truly grateful to those who, in their time, helped progress research to support others, like me, living with this disease.”
Notable ex-pros who have sadly passed away from the disease in recent years include Doddie Weir and, of course, Rob Burrow MBE.
There is currently no known cure for MND at present, but as Burrow’s best mate and inspirational teammate, Kevin Sinfield has famously, the belief is that this is because it remains “underfunded” and a breakthrough could still be found.
Speaking to BBC Sport with his long-term partner on Monday, 6 October, ‘Mad Dog Moody’ gave a very open and honest interview about the last few weeks, going from noticing some weakness in his shoulder at the gym to having now been given the tragic diagnosis.
Lewis’ statement continues: “Since retiring from the sport I love, and alongside my wife Annie, I’ve been able to dedicate much of the past 12 years to fundraising for The Lewis Moody Foundation in support of those affected by brain tumours.
“My plan is to continue with this, but to also create an opportunity to support a charity closer to my current situation. I would be so grateful for your help with this and look forward to sharing more, once l am clear on what this looks like.
“For now, please know I feel your love and support; all l ask is that I am given some space to navigate this with my wife and sons, and those closest to us – but without doubt, I will continue to embrace life and grasp opportunities in the same way I always have.
Sharing a post of their own on social media this morning, the Red Roses wrote: “Everyone at England Rugby is saddened to learn that former captain Lewis Moody has been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
“All of our thoughts are with Lewis, his family and friends as they come to terms with this diagnosis. We will be offering both practical and emotional support, and know the entire rugby community will stand with them at this incredibly difficult time.
“We encourage people to show their support through the fundraising initiatives now being set up and available through GoFundMe.”
Sending our strength and support to Lewis Moody, as well as his family, friends and fans; you can donate to his fundraiser down below.