Iconic ‘finest away day’ pub famed for ‘naughty days out’ for soccer followers closes
The iconic Manchester pub in Blackpool was especially known for the ‘naughty’ days out for football fans it promised, while also being a scene of a deadly fight in 2023
The Manchester pub in Blackpool reportedly closed last month(Image: GOOGLE)
An iconic footie pub known as the “best away day” fans can have has sadly closed its doors. The Manchester pub, in Blackpool, shut for the last time last month with owners citing a drop in trade over the Christmas period.
The boozer has been dubbed “the best pub in Blackpool”, with patrons often hinting at a certain “naughtiness” which abounded on matchdays when away fans flocked through its doors.
And what sort of “naughtiness” might that be? On a Facebook post mourning the loss of the establishment, one man waxed lyrical about The Manchester being “the naughtiest pub in the UK about 6 years ago”, to which someone replied: “Still naughty now…on matchdays (wink face)”.
The pub’s TripAdvisor’s page is flooded with people asking: “Is this a strip club?” while a brief look on social media reveals images of scantily clad fire-eater dancers entertaining away footie fans. “What a pub,” someone put it simply on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Another person went into more detail: “Always had a laugh in there when we went up for an away trip to Blackpool. Away fans were always welcome..even though you could easily leave your shoes at the bar, the floor was that sticky.”
However, not everyone was so glowing about the pub on social media. “Best away pub? It’s possibly the worst pub I’ve ever been in,” wrote one man on X, who perhaps wasn’t present when the dancers were there.
“Absolute hovel serving drab pints,” another sneered. It was a pub that clearly split opinion, depending on what you were after for a day out watching the footie really.
If you were expecting high-level gourmet food, perhaps not – the majority of one star reviews on TripAdvisor referenced the grub.
But if you wanted a boozy day supporting your football team, it looked like it was hard to beat.
However, at times this boozy support could tip into violence – last year nine blokes were handed lifetime bans from football stadiums after a punch-up outside The Manchester ended with one man losing his life.
Tony Johnson, 55, sadly suffered a fatal head injury after being punched during the disturbance.
In May 2025, Jake Balmforth, 35, was jailed for five years after being found guilty by a jury of Mr Johnson’s manslaughter.
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