Hurst Cross Stadium

That date appears on the same stone that marks the move of Hurst FC to this ground. The club played its first fixture here on 27 September 1884, and the cross predates the matches by a few months.

The stadium itself is not grand, but it has lived through more than most. The club was formed in 1878 as Hurst FC, and the ground has been theirs ever since. It became Ashton United in 1947. The official capacity is listed as 4,250, though one source puts it at 4,500; the club website and Transfermarkt side with the lower number. The all-time record stands at over 9,000, set in 1885 when Blackburn Rovers came to town as FA Cup holders.

Alan Ball Jr. made his debut here in August 1960 at age fifteen, under his father’s management. Dixie Dean played here in August 1939 against Stalybridge Celtic, drawing 5,600 and generating £140 in gate receipts before the war cut his career short. The club won the first-ever Manchester Senior Cup in 1885, beating Newton Heath 3–0. Newton Heath would later become Manchester United.

The stands are simple: covered standing in the Popular Stand and Johnny Burke Stand, and covered seating in the Main Stand.