Reading Edwin Heathcote on plans for a “new” Old Trafford (Opinion, March 15), one can only admire the reach of Manchester’s self-mythology.
Heathcote writes that “the city witnessed the birth of the industrial revolution and modern football”. The West Midlands “Lunar Men”, lauded in the same issue by Peaky Blinders’ creator Steven Knight (Spectrum, March 15) would have something to say about that, as would the Darbys of Staffordshire. On being a witness to the birth of modern football, of the 12 founder members of the Football League, just one club, Bolton Wanderers, came from what is now Greater Manchester. Manchester United, a trifling enterprise at the time and for quite a while after, did not even bear its current name.
The city of Liverpool provided Everton, while clubs from Lancashire and east and West Midlands made up the rest. The Football League, and therefore modern football, was in fact the brainchild of William McGregor, a Scotsman who had relocated to Birmingham and had become chair of Aston Villa, the southernmost founder member.
Paul Lay
London N5, UK
