anyone going by that method?
im planning going lunch time with young un.....summat eat in Manc, maybe a quick pint if i find a bar that lets kids in........then on ground early to let her soak up the atmosphere, why its her first one

Yep theres around 10 of us going by train/tram. Looking at going around 1pm, any advice from seasoned travellers such as Picadilly or Victoria, tram stations?

yeah go in a mini bus the train home is a mare

If you're up to it, you're almost as well to walk back into central Manchester after the game than battle for a Metrolink tram, unless you happen to get a pretty good getaway. I remember the trams after the 2003 Grand Final were a nightmare (selfish so and sos refusing to move down half empty trams when the platforms were packed meant I got split up from my mate too, the door shut behind me!) and it's never particularly clever after Test matches at the cricket next door.

Takes about 45 minutes to walk to Deansgate from the stadium. Not the greatest walk you'll ever do, but should be safe enough because loads of people head the same way, just follow the crowd if you don't know where you're going!

Train from Newton Le Willows around 11am tram to OT around 5.

if your going direct from wigan....either stations best option...look for altringham tram.........and dont forget to buy a ticket from the machine.

bit of advice........if you go to victoria , the tram goes through the streets of manc then calls at picadily.......so go straight to piccadilly
coming back?.no idea...but as another poster said...trams a nightmare after match...i can only imagine how much..as ive only caught it after a day/nighter cricket at OT..and that was with about 5 thou on..not 75 thou

I'll be getting the Metro back to Piccadilly afterwards on my lonesome, i'll throw people off it if I need to in order to get on.

Avoid the Metrolink if you can. It can get seriously packed and not particularly nice, and the scrum after the game is horrendous.

Alternatively, if you're in Manc city centre just get a cab to OT or the Lowry (some ok bars there), and if you can order one for after the game, even better. Google a few local cab numbers use them rather than a black cab, much cheaper. Or as others have said, just walk into Manc from OT - it's not that far.

Me and my team get a couple of minibuses there and order them for the way home. Can be tricky finding them after the game but well worth it, and normally back in time for a few to finish the night off.

On your return journey there will be a MASSIVE scrum to get on the Metrolink northbound platform for trams returning to Manchester - skip the scrum follow the signs for the southbound platform to Altrincham and take the next tram soutbound to Dane Road, cross over to the empty northbound platform and away you go....simples!

20,000 wiganers all trying to catch the last few trains out of Piccadilly/Victoria is a different matter - nearly got stranded after an international at Eastlands when the police closed the platform at piccadilly because too many people were on it.....never again!

I'm going by minibus saturday, not sure I'd want to take my little'un on the train.

If the last few finals have been anything to go by avoid old trafford station its been a nightmare, walk over to exchange quay or salford quays.

Honestly I live in Sale and get the metro all the time to United games and such and its really not that bad.
Options are: Queue for up to 20 minutes or so for the packed metro back into town (Only 4 stops)
Walk down to deansgate - 30 Minutes or so with a lot of other people. No safety issues at all.

The metro isnt as bad as people are saying at all. Yes its busy but your going to a sporting event with 70,000 odd in attendance so its going to be busy everywhere. There will be many metrolink people on the platform organising people into each section of the metro so I wouldnt worry too much about your littleuns.

Come on Warriors!

brilliant.......will do

How's long the Metrostink journey from Old Trafford back into the centre?

THE last time i visited in 2001 i was experiencing the biggest ever que to go on a tram! and even when i got to piccadilly the train was like a tin of SARDINES my advice go on a coach or in the car

10-15 mins between OT and the city centre on the Metro.