Derby Arms, Ashton New Road

Derby Arms, Ashton New Road, Clayton. (c) Pugh Auctions.

This boozer has not been able to trade off its proximity to Manchester football stadia, past and present.  On the corner of Ashton New Road and Bank Street, the Derby Arms sits close to Eastlands / the City of Manchester Stadium / Etihad Stadium, whatever you want to call it, and even closer to where the old Bank Street stadium was.  This was, of course, home to United / Newton Heath from 1893 to 1910 before they moved out to Old Trafford, and once had a 50,000 capacity.

Derby Arms, Ashton New Road. (c) Bill Boaden at geograph under Creative Commons.

The pub was uncomfortably close to the Bradford Park police unit in the old Ciba Geigy labs, and also opposite a grim-looking bank building.  Despite working here years ago, and using the popular Holt's house, the Grove, up the road for a while, I never ventured in the Derby Arms probably due to its lack of decent ale.  Poor trade appears to have done for it though, as it's recently been converted into shops, as reported in CAMRA's Opening Times.

Derby Arms, Ashton New Road, Clayton. (c) Pugh Auctions.