Old Trafford snubbed
Last updated: 26th May 2008
Old Trafford is one of England's oldest Test grounds, a stage steeped in tradition and one of the world's great venues for watching cricket.
But more importantly, it has also become England's most successful Test venue in recent years - the team are unbeaten in six Tests in Manchester, a run that has included five wins.
Yet next year Old Trafford will not be hosting an Ashes Test - in fact there will not be a Test on the ground for the next four years.
Share your thoughts on the decision to snub Old Trafford as an Ashes venue...
Features
Ratings Review
The first weekend of October in the Premier League finds harmony in performance analysis.
Fed to the Three Lions
Opta give England supporters reasons to be cheerful ahead of the next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Sky Sports Scout
Sky Sports Scout is our feature where we scour the globe looking for top talent. Next up is Jo Sondre Aas.
Comments
Ged Mannion says...
a complete joke! all about money and politics. the england and WALES cricket board have a lot to answer to. if facilities are so bad at old trafford,why are tickets sold out within hours of big gamesbeing announced.cricket fans turn up to watch good cricket on a good pitch,peter marrons has consistently been the best test wicket for years . ECB be warned, the sugar daddy of TV will only be there if people continue to watch . 20/20 will only hold the imagination for so long of the occasional watcher. if england start to lose,or win on untested pitches within two or three days it is not only the public who will smell a financial rat,but the hundreds of clients who pay for their advertisements every three overs,or more frequently as the wickets continue to tumble!
Posted 05:31 30th May 2008
Jonathan Henderson says...
Now Old Trafford knows how us from chester-le-street feel, granted he do not have the history of old trafford but once again we have been over looked for an big test match. The thing that really rubs salt into the wound is that while we have built ourselves up having sold out with minor test matches such as Bangladesh, Cardiff are just handed one out of nowhere and I cant see where if any better the facilites are rather than it only that its just up the motorway for all the suits with free tickets geting up from london.
Posted 16:45 29th May 2008
Andrew Sockett says...
Let's try and take the emotion out of this, the playing area apart anyone who has been to the place knows it's not up to scratch, no covered areas for the general public, terracing crumbling and all the other facilities are poor. There is also a problem with drunken behaivour although it is not alone in this. I spent a most unpleasant day there a few years ago listening to drunken football yobs swearing and shouting, several either collapsed from drink or were eventually turfed out by huge security personnel for spoiling the majority's day. The only peace was during lunch and tea when they went off to the betting shops to bet on the football!!
Posted 14:02 29th May 2008
Raymond Bradley says...
Having visited all 6 of the major test grounds over the years I am not surprised that Old Trafford has lost its Test matches over the next few years. While most of the Test and county grounds are redeveloping to increase capacity and enhance facilities for the paying customer Old Trafford stands still and ranks alongside Headingley as the poorest of the major 6 grounds. Until improvements are made the ground will continue to miss out!
Posted 08:33 29th May 2008
Ian Cruise says...
Why is Cardiff holding test matches. The ground is a dump. Also Glamorgan represent wales. (robert croft's words not mine) It shouldn't matter how much money is pledged by bidding for these games. Old Trafford is a quality test arena where england have proven themselves and should be kept on the list. Leave Lords out of the list for a season. it's very rare that we win there.
Posted 14:16 28th May 2008
David Ormrod says...
Southern biased is all it is, Maybe this the way ECB wants to go, I've been to the Old Trafford test for the last 10 years, What will me and the rest of the north west do for the next 4 years...... Abandon Cricket.... It's what the ECB wants. I hope the Aussies thrash you next year. I'm English through and through, but they won't have my support anymore.
Posted 12:30 28th May 2008
Andrew Chinnick says...
It is sad that Old Trafford isnt getting a test but i'm sorry, they have let their ground wilt away into a second class ground whereas sophia gardens has worked very hard to renovate it to international quality and you think that OT should get it simply because its tradition. thats just pathetic. And Daniel Barrett, your ignorance just sums up the selfishness that the english nation portrays itself as. If you did just the slightest bit of research then you would realise that it isnt the england cricket team it is the england and wales cricket team and over time when people couldnt be bothered to say the whole thing, they just say england and wales have been pushed out. stop feeling sorry for yourself and stop being so selfish and ignorant. The geographical aspect is important, spreadin the ashes venues across the country as the ECB (England and WALES Cricket board) has done is excellent because now everyone can have a chance to see a test match. well done the ECB, its about time we moved on.
Posted 12:00 28th May 2008
Thomas Cummings says...
The fact that Old Trafford hasn't got an Ashes test on Sophia Gardens has is politics, pure politics. And it stinks! The Rose Bowl is better ground than Sophia Gardens, and at least it is completed.
Posted 17:23 27th May 2008
C.a.r. Diff says...
Old Trafford was less than half full on a Bank Holiday Monday with reduced admission prices in a match which was on a knife edge. Pathetic. Where were the 10,000 locked out in 2005? Watching football no doubt. That 10,000 would have been locked out of any ground in the country. I'm sick of the media in this country making a big deal of this. Hanpshire, Glamorgan and others haven't had a test match in over 100 years. It's about time someone else had a crack. Goodbye Old Trafford, you won't be missed. Hello Cardiff
Posted 13:48 27th May 2008
Phil Duffy says...
I cant believe they are taking away Old Trafford from the list of Test venues, it is the third best after Lord's and The Oval.
Posted 13:27 27th May 2008
James Towey says...
Simply outrageous, as usual the people of North West England are treated as second class citizens. London gets at least 2, usually 4 tests every year, the Midlands the same, Yorkshire at least one, we now get none. Wake up ECB, look how many of the top test players have come from the North West. With Bolton, Blackburn, Man Utd, Man City, Liverpool, Everton and Wigan all offering premiership football within the region is it any wonder that the next generation will be playing and following football rather than cricket?
Posted 13:07 27th May 2008
Tim Waton says...
The reason Old Trafford had no Test matches for so long is that the ECB has changed how they are awarded. A county can bid how much they want to pay to hold a Test match. LCCC put there bid in, which they thought was fair as a county, and it was not high enough. Yes they could have bid more, but they would have made a loss for the match, or would have had to ask the fans to pay more in ticket prices. They didnt want to do either. This is all about the ECB cashing in and getting the most money they could do, not thinking what is best for cricket.
Posted 12:04 27th May 2008
Andy Milner says...
It does seem strange that Manchester will not host a test match for such a long period, it also seemed odd that Headingley missed out in the 2005 Ashes, another successful and result orientated pitch for England. What next? Trent Bridge is surely on the ECB hitlist, god forbid that Lords or The Oval should miss out, or maybe that will start to happen when Denmark and Belgium gain Test status, no offence to those fine nations but I sense a North/South split coming with the ECB cherry picking the best matches for its favoured grounds. Or am I just being a northern cynic??
Posted 11:34 27th May 2008
Daniel Barrett says...
Pathetic! Especially considering that Cardiff is in Wales, and we are talking about English cricket here! I always thought the Ashes tradition was between England and Australia! Wasn't aware that Wales came into it! Sad stuff really! We may aswell be playing it in timbuktu!!
Posted 11:13 27th May 2008
Colin Crook says...
Given the way our ashes victory team has disintegrated, they need every possible advantage. To not play on a ground they do well on is an absolute barnpot decision and is typical new liberal thinking of style over substance.
Posted 10:57 27th May 2008
Himani S says...
Not having a test match at old trafford next year, is an absolute disgrace. Not having a test match at old trafford for the next four years is diabolical. If the ECB want their young spinners to develop, old trafford is the complete pitch for them to show their skills and develop thier talent.
Posted 09:27 27th May 2008
Stuart Dakin says...
another sign that all International sport is based on How much money it makes not on History or Tradition, makes you wonder what the England lads make of it all, saying that prehaps as long as they pick up there pay check they dont mind where they play!!!
Posted 05:34 27th May 2008
Colin Critchlow says...
What is the reason for snubbing one of the finest test grounds in the world. Just like Sydney or Melbourne Old Trafford is steeped in tradition having a long history of its own. A test series against the Aussies, and not one in Manchester is unbelievable. The recent match against the New Zealanders was a great success enjoyed by all. What a tremendous loss this will be to the local cricket lovers and cricket in general. Somehow O.T has a magic of its own and I feel its totally wrong to discard it.
Posted 21:48 26th May 2008
Phil Jones says...
Old Trafford got complacant, expecting a test match every year without improving their facilities. Other grounds like The SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff and The Rose Bowl deserve their chance to host the matches. if the county game is going to survive then every county needs to have a oppotunity to gain revenue from Test matches otherwise the game will go like football where the top teams have all the money and best players and the rest o the teams are just spending all their time battling to survive.
Posted 21:25 26th May 2008
Chris Gibbon says...
I have been to Old Trafford for the last few years and it has always been a great game of cricket. The atmosphere has been brilliant each year and 4 years away from this ground is bad news for cricket fans, especially as England are doing so well here. Would be good to know why they have taken Old Trafford off the test list
Posted 21:09 26th May 2008
Add Comment*
All fields are required