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{{Infobox stadium
{{comicbookspecies|<!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
| name = North Road
|image= FF48.jpg
| nickname =
|imagesize=250
| image = [[Image:North road os.jpg|250px]]
|caption=The Watcher (left) warns the [[Fantastic Four]] of the coming of [[Galactus]] on the cover of [[Fantastic Four]] #48 (Mar 1966). Art by [[Jack Kirby]].
| fullname =
|species=Watcher
| location = [[Newton Heath]], [[Greater Manchester]]
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
| coordinates = {{coord|53|30|13|N|2|11|56|W|region:GB_type:landmark}}
|debut='''Uatu''': ''[[Fantastic Four]]'' #13 (Apr. 1963)
| broke_ground =
|creators=[[Stan Lee]]<br>[[Jack Kirby]]
| built =
|homeworld=[[Blue Area of the Moon]]<br>(Uatu only)
| opened =
|notable mwembers=[[Uatu]]
| renovated =
|powers=[[List of comic book superpowers#Superhuman strength|Superhuman strength]], [[List of comic book superpowers#Superhuman intelligence|intellect]], stamina, [[List of comic book superpowers#Superhuman durability|durability]] and longevity<br>[[List of comic book superpowers#Energy manipulation|Energy]] and [[List of comic book superpowers#molecular manipulation|molecular manipulation]]<br>Psionic powers<br>[[List of comic book superpowers#Teleportation|Teleportation]]
| expanded =
|subcat=Marvel Comics
| closed =
|altcat=
| demolished =
|sortkey={{PAGENAME}}
| owner = Manchester Deans and Canons
⚫
|}}
| operator =
The '''Watchers''' are a [[fictional characters]] that appear in [[comic books]] published by [[Marvel Comics]]. Created by [[Stan Lee]] and [[Jack Kirby]], the first Watcher - named '''[[Uatu]]''' - appears in ''[[Fantastic Four]]'' #13 (April 1963).
| surface = Grass
| construction_cost =
| architect =
| structural engineer =
| services engineer =
| general_contractor =
| project_manager =
| main_contractors =
| former_names =
| tenants = [[Manchester United F.C.|Newton Heath F.C.]] (1878–1893)
| capacity = ~15,000
| dimensions =
| scoreboard =
⚫
}}
'''North Road''' was a [[association football|football]] [[stadium]] in the district of [[Newton Heath]], [[Greater Manchester]], [[England]]. It was the first home of [[Manchester United F.C.]] – then known as Newton Heath Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Football Club – from the club's foundation in 1878 to 1893, when they moved to a new ground at [[Bank Street (stadium)|Bank Street]], [[Clayton, Greater Manchester|Clayton]].


==History==
==Fictional history==
⚫
===Early years===
The Watchers are one of the oldest species in the universe, and are committed to observing and compiling knowledge on all aspects of the universe. This policy of non-interference is due to a well-meaning attempt by the Watchers to bestow knowledge on another race which resulted in that race destroying itself. Despite this, the Watcher Uatu has revealed himself to the [[superhero]] team the [[Fantastic Four]], <ref>''Fantastic Four'' #13 (April 1963)</ref> and aided them on several occasions against global threats such as the [[Molecule Man]], <ref>''Fantastic Four'' #20 (Nov. 1963)</ref> [[Galactus]] <ref>''Fantastic Four'' #48 (Mar. 1966)</ref> and the [[Overmind (comics)|Overmind]]. <ref>''Fantastic Four'' #113 (Aug. 1971)</ref> After blatant interference with the mission of the Kree soldier [[Mar-vell]], Uatu is put on trial by his own race, but is released on the provision that he never directly interfere again. <ref>''Captain Marvel'' #37 - 38 (March-May (bi-monthly)1975)</ref>
Upon the foundation of Newton Heath L&YR F.C. at the request of the employees of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Company's Carriage and Wagon Works, it became apparent that the club would require a pitch upon which to play. The site chosen was a "bumpy, stony patch in summer, [and] a muddy, heavy swamp in the rainy months".<ref>Tyrrell et al., p.93</ref> Located adjacent to the railway line operated by the L&YR, the ground was often clouded with a thick mist of steam from the passing trains, and there was not even a place for the players to get changed on site. Instead, they had to change at the Three Crowns pub, a few hundred yards away on Oldham Road.<ref name="inglis_234">Inglis, p.234</ref>


The first recorded matches at the ground took place in 1880, two years after the club's formation, and were mostly friendlies. The first competitive match held at North Road was a Lancashire Cup first round match against [[Blackburn Olympic F.C.|Blackburn Olympic]]'s reserve team, played on 27 October 1883; Newton Heath lost 7–2. The details of the match attendance have been lost, though it is assumed that the ground was now enclosed as an entry fee of 3[[Penny (British pre-decimal coin)|d]] was levied.<ref>Shury, pp.6–7</ref> Football became a professional sport in England in 1885, with Newton Heath signing their first professional players in the summer of 1886. Their income at the time was not sufficient to support the new wage bill; a problem they overcame through the extension of the 3d admission charge to all matches at North Road, later rising to sixpence.<ref>Shury, p.8</ref>
Uatu is later banished by his race for aiding the Fantastic Four against the threat of his rogue nephew, [[Aron (comics)|Aron, the Renegade Watcher]], who tries to destroy the universe. <ref>''Fantastic Four'' #400 (May 1995)</ref> The [[Dreaming Celestial]] later scans Uatu and learns the Watcher has broken his pact of non-interference almost 400 times <ref>''Eternals'' vol. 7, (Oct. 2008)</ref> The Celestial also reveals the Watchers, like the Celestials themselves, are servants of a concept called [[Fulcrum]], with apparent consequences for interference. <ref>''Eternals'' vol. 7, (Oct. 2008)</ref>


==Powers and abilities==
===Expansion and eviction===
Records show that the ground originally had a capacity of around 12,000, but the club officials decided that they should be able to provide for more spectators if the club was to have any hope of joining [[the Football League]].<ref name="white_21">White, p.21</ref> Therefore, in 1891, Newton Heath used what little financial reserves they had to purchase two grandstands, each able to hold 1,000 spectators. However, this transaction put the club at odds with the railway company, who refused to contribute any finance to the deal.<ref name="white_21"/> The two organisations began to drift apart from that point, and, in 1892, the club attempted to raise £2,000 in share capital to pay off the expansion of the ground.<ref name="white_23">White, p.23</ref> The split also meant that the railway company now refused to pay the rent on the ground, which actually belonged to the Manchester Cathedral authorities, who then raised the rent.<ref name="tyrrell_97">Tyrrell et al., p.97</ref> Unable to afford the increased rent, especially as the Manchester Deans and Canons felt it inappropriate for the club to charge admission to the ground,<ref name="shury_21">Shury, p.21</ref><ref name="inglis_234"/> the Heathens were served with an eviction notice in June 1893. Fortunately, the club's management had been seeking a new stadium ever since the first attempted eviction in May 1892, and they moved to a new ground on [[Bank Street (stadium)|Bank Street]], three miles away in [[Clayton, Greater Manchester|Clayton]].<ref name="shury_21"/> They attempted to take the two grandstands with them, but the attempt failed and the stands were sold for just £100.<ref name="white_23"/>
The Watchers are cosmic beings, who possess the innate ability to achieve virtually any effect desired, including augmenting personal attributes, time and space manipulation, molecular manipulation, energy projection and a range of mental powers. They also have access to incredibly advanced technology.


==Other versions==
===Present===
The stadium no longer exists, and North Road has been renamed Northampton Road. The site now serves as the location of the North Manchester Business Park, and before that it was Moston Brook High School. A red plaque could once be found attached to one of the school's walls at the location of the old stadium, as a marker of the social history of the city of Manchester, but the plaque has since been stolen and not replaced.<ref>White, p.15</ref>
⚫
===What If===
The Watcher Uatu often observes how key events from the [[Earth-616]] Marvel Universe differed in alternate universes and speculates on the related consequences. <ref>''What If'' #1 - 47 (Feb. 1977 - Oct. 1984) and ''What If'' vol. 2 #1 - 114 (Jul. 1989 - Nov. 1998)</ref>


===Earth X===
==References==
;General
In the alternate reality of [[Earth X]] (Earth-9997), the Watchers are slaves of the [[Celestials]]. As punishment for their non-interference during the birth of their arch-enemy [[Galactus]], the Celestials force the Watchers to observe the impregnation of newly-formed planets with their Celestial eggs, and the eventual birth of the Celestial within, which ultimately destroys that planet. <ref>''Earth X:Issue X'' (Mar 2000)</ref>
*{{cite book |last=Inglis |first=Simon |title=Football Grounds of Britain |origyear=1985 |edition=3rd edition |year=1996 |publisher=CollinsWillow |location=London |isbn=0-00-218426-5 }}
*{{cite book |last=Shury |first=Alan |coauthors=& Landamore, Brian |title=The Definitive Newton Heath F.C. |publisher=SoccerData |date=2005 |isbn=1899468161 }}
*{{cite book |last=Tyrrell |first=Tom |coauthors=Meek, David |title=The Hamlyn Illustrated History of Manchester United 1878-1996 |origyear=1988 |edition=5th edition |year=1996 |publisher=Hamlyn |location=London |isbn=0-600-59074-7 }}
*{{cite book |last=White |first=Jim |title=Manchester United: The Biography |year=2008 |publisher=Sphere |location=London |isbn=978-1-84744-088-4 }}


;Specific
===Ultimate Watchers===
{{reflist}}
In the [[Ultimate Marvel|Ultimate Universe]], the Watchers are depicted as machines. <ref>''Ultimate Extinction'' #1 - 5, Jan. 2006 - May 2006 respectively</ref>


{{fb start}}
{{Manchester United F.C.}}
{{fb end}}


[[Category:Defunct football venues in England]]
==In other media==
⚫
[[Category:Manchester United F.C.]]
* The Watcher appears in two animated segments of ''[[The Hulk]]'' on the 1966 series'' [[The Marvel Superheroes]]''.
[[Category:Sports venues in Manchester]]
* The Watcher appears in two ''Fantastic Four'' cartoons - the [[Fantastic Four (1967 TV series)|1967 version]] and the [[Fantastic Four (1994 TV series)|1994 version]].
* The Watchers appears in the role of narrator in the [[Fox Kids]] animated ''[[Silver Surfer (TV series)|Silver Surfer]]'' series.
* The Watcher also appears in the video game ''[[Marvel: Ultimate Alliance]]''.


⚫
[[fi:North Road]]
== Notes ==
<references/>

⚫
[[Category:Marvel Comics aliens]]

[[es:Vigilante]]
⚫
[[fi:Seuraajat]]

Revision as of 23:36, 13 October 2008

North Road
Map
LocationNewton Heath, Greater Manchester
Coordinates53°30′13″N 2°11′56″W / 53.50361°N 2.19889°W / 53.50361; -2.19889
OwnerManchester Deans and Canons
Capacity~15,000
SurfaceGrass
Tenants
Newton Heath F.C. (1878–1893)

North Road was a football stadium in the district of Newton Heath, Greater Manchester, England. It was the first home of Manchester United F.C. – then known as Newton Heath Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Football Club – from the club's foundation in 1878 to 1893, when they moved to a new ground at Bank Street, Clayton.

History

Early years

Upon the foundation of Newton Heath L&YR F.C. at the request of the employees of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Company's Carriage and Wagon Works, it became apparent that the club would require a pitch upon which to play. The site chosen was a "bumpy, stony patch in summer, [and] a muddy, heavy swamp in the rainy months".[1] Located adjacent to the railway line operated by the L&YR, the ground was often clouded with a thick mist of steam from the passing trains, and there was not even a place for the players to get changed on site. Instead, they had to change at the Three Crowns pub, a few hundred yards away on Oldham Road.[2]

The first recorded matches at the ground took place in 1880, two years after the club's formation, and were mostly friendlies. The first competitive match held at North Road was a Lancashire Cup first round match against Blackburn Olympic's reserve team, played on 27 October 1883; Newton Heath lost 7–2. The details of the match attendance have been lost, though it is assumed that the ground was now enclosed as an entry fee of 3d was levied.[3] Football became a professional sport in England in 1885, with Newton Heath signing their first professional players in the summer of 1886. Their income at the time was not sufficient to support the new wage bill; a problem they overcame through the extension of the 3d admission charge to all matches at North Road, later rising to sixpence.[4]

Expansion and eviction

Records show that the ground originally had a capacity of around 12,000, but the club officials decided that they should be able to provide for more spectators if the club was to have any hope of joining the Football League.[5] Therefore, in 1891, Newton Heath used what little financial reserves they had to purchase two grandstands, each able to hold 1,000 spectators. However, this transaction put the club at odds with the railway company, who refused to contribute any finance to the deal.[5] The two organisations began to drift apart from that point, and, in 1892, the club attempted to raise £2,000 in share capital to pay off the expansion of the ground.[6] The split also meant that the railway company now refused to pay the rent on the ground, which actually belonged to the Manchester Cathedral authorities, who then raised the rent.[7] Unable to afford the increased rent, especially as the Manchester Deans and Canons felt it inappropriate for the club to charge admission to the ground,[8][2] the Heathens were served with an eviction notice in June 1893. Fortunately, the club's management had been seeking a new stadium ever since the first attempted eviction in May 1892, and they moved to a new ground on Bank Street, three miles away in Clayton.[8] They attempted to take the two grandstands with them, but the attempt failed and the stands were sold for just £100.[6]

Present

The stadium no longer exists, and North Road has been renamed Northampton Road. The site now serves as the location of the North Manchester Business Park, and before that it was Moston Brook High School. A red plaque could once be found attached to one of the school's walls at the location of the old stadium, as a marker of the social history of the city of Manchester, but the plaque has since been stolen and not replaced.[9]

References

General
  • Inglis, Simon (1996) [1985]. Football Grounds of Britain (3rd edition ed.). London: CollinsWillow. ISBN 0-00-218426-5. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
  • Shury, Alan (2005). The Definitive Newton Heath F.C. SoccerData. ISBN 1899468161. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Tyrrell, Tom (1996) [1988]. The Hamlyn Illustrated History of Manchester United 1878-1996 (5th edition ed.). London: Hamlyn. ISBN 0-600-59074-7. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • White, Jim (2008). Manchester United: The Biography. London: Sphere. ISBN 978-1-84744-088-4.
Specific
  1. ^ Tyrrell et al., p.93
  2. ^ a b Inglis, p.234
  3. ^ Shury, pp.6–7
  4. ^ Shury, p.8
  5. ^ a b White, p.21
  6. ^ a b White, p.23
  7. ^ Tyrrell et al., p.97
  8. ^ a b Shury, p.21
  9. ^ White, p.15

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