Not sure which train you'd get that goes to Manchester from both Leeds and Carlisle like mate!

In 2009 myself and 6 mates all booked return rail travel from Leeds to Piccadilly, we actually pre booked our seats so well in advance that we actually got a block of seats with a table too

However on reaching the platform the transport police wouldn't let us onto the platform at all, i explained that we all had a guaranteed numbered seat on the train so why couldn't he let us through?

Needless to say we had to wait until 1am for a replacement train to arrive, and to make matters worse our train must have traveled on every inch of Yorkshires tracks to get us into Leeds for 3am

Needless to say that our annual trips to the GF includes one nights accommodation at the Etap in Salford Keys since that fateful night

True, I realise that now!!

Went on Hogwarts express last week, that would defo do it!

Anyone know of the best way of getting from Manchester Piccadily to Old Trafford. I know theres a station at the ground but there seems little information on this service on the internet. I've always drove to the ground before.

that Old Trafford station is rarely used and i doubt it'll be in use on Saturday. Its mainly used Man Utd match days and thats about it.

As for other ways of getting there, if the weather is alright walk it. Its not that far and theres plenty of boozers on route. other than that you can get the tram from Piccadilly to Old Trafford but that will be packed. I'd personally get it to Exchange Quay and walk it, its not far. Alternatively get the 250 bus from Piccadilly Gardens as it goes down the side of Old Trafford

It has been used for Grand Finals in the past, you get on at Oxford Road. IIRC it wasn't used last year though.

If theres a few of you, flag down a taxi, costs nowt and there are loads about. Most of them drop you off at a furniture store a short walk from the ground.

I cant really get in a taxi as im travelling on my own then meeting mates at the ground. You can get a train to deansgate and walk from there but google maps reckons it would take 40 minutes to walk it. anyone used the tram service before? says it should take quarter of an hour from the exchange quay station. anyone got any idea how frequent these trams are?

We walk from the stadium back to Deansgate and its a pretty long walk. If you step out you can probably do it in 30, although that involves walking along the dual carriageway.

I've used the tram before in recent years and its OK if you get on at the right place. Can be a bit of a scrum if you don't. There are plenty of them though. You can walk from Exchange Quay or Old Trafford.

I wouldn't even attempt to get the train over on the day of the game, it's bound to be a nightmare coming back, it was bad enough at Warrington last week!

Tell me about WCR - were you one of the unlucky ones that got stuck, I live in Manchester and didn't get home till near 2am.

For others - trams are every 12 minutes on the Eccles line and only take 10 minutes or so to exchange quay, as others have said, weather dependent you are looking at 30-40 minutes on foot

Yep, The Metrolink tram from Exchange quay is a better option IMO than Old Trafford cricket ground for the return to Piccadilly.
As for coming back to Leeds on the train, it is a bit of crush , but not as bad as when we played the bulls
As other posters have said, the rail network is rubbish at finding extra capacity for any major event. The fans are just an inconvenience it appears.

Remember folks, if you're buying the train ticket 'on the day' at the station, you should be able to get a 'through' ticket to whichever station on the Manchester Metrolink you choose to get (Exchange, Old Trafford Cricket Ground etc.)

Whilst this may not get you a seat nor make the jouney any faster, it will :
- Mean you don't have to fiddle about for change once you're in Manchester, straight off the train and jump on the tram
- IIRC it is cheaper than buying a seperate tram ticket once you get there
- IIRC, after the game, they let ticket holders on to the platform without corralling you to buy a ticket to return

The other consideration, if they're running it (and they usually do) is that Manchester United have their own station at the side of Old Trafford and there is usually a small shuttle train that goes back and forth to somewhere like Piccadilly for the fans to get.

Maybe National Rail Equires can help and tell you if it is running this year.

We get the train every year, stop off at Dewsbury, Hudds & maybe Stalybridge. Tram to the ground, never a problem. Coming back is a scrum but never failed. Only time I had a problem was when I used National Express, must be 10 years ago after Bradford were there. The scheduled bus didn't turn up, so when one finally did there were hordes of people who gave an ironic cheer & rushed towards the coach. The driver stood at the door with his mobile phone pointed at the, good natured, crowd. A couple of minutes later 2 buses of riot police were jumping over fences charging towards the bemused 'customers'. I got back about 1am.

As I posted earlier in the thread, they aren't running this service as far as I can see. We rode it two years ago - the trains were infrequent and it was more of a scrum than the tram. Not many people used to know about it, I guess they do now...