Booking.com have built a half-red, half-blue house in the lead up to the Manchester Derby this weekend, which is available to book for one night only. Boasting a living room and games room for guests to enjoy, the custom-built, one-bedroom cabin house stands in Tony Wilson Square on First Street, outside HOME, which marks the mid-point between Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium, symbolising the fierce rivalry between the clubs and their fans.
The house references the first derby day in 1881, when City and United were known as West Gorton (St. Marks) FC and Newton Heath FC respectively. Here in 2023, however, Old Trafford will be packed out for a 12:30 kick-off on Saturday 14th January, with United going in off the back of a 3-0 victory over Charlton in the EFL Cup, and City a 4-0 victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup.
The mission of this statement is to show that although fans are divided by their team’s colours, Manchester is, at its heart, the UK’s capital of football and the people of the city are ultimately bound by that. The city loves football and outside of the derby itself, that’s what is important.
Matthias Schmid from Booking.com said: “Whenever Mancunians travel the globe, often the first thing they are asked is whether they are a ‘red or a blue’. They are brought together by their love of football.
“There’s a warmth and vibrancy in Manchester that is unrivalled anywhere else in the world. Even in rare circumstances of apparent division, there is always an underlying unity. Manchester is one, no matter which side you’re on.”
Our National Football Museum is also a testament to Manchester’s dedication to football, housing some of the most prized artefacts in the world, including the late Pelé’s 1960 passport and 1962 World Cup Winner’s medal. According to Booking.com, Manchester’s tourism sector is worth around £7.9 billion a year and supports 94,000 jobs, with 119 million visitors a year coming to experience the city, of which many come to watch their favourite football team.
Whether you’re rooting for Rashford or Foden this weekend, just remember there’s a house bringing blue and red together in our football-mad city. The one-night Manchester Half-and-Half Experience is available for a lucky pair of bookers on January 12. The stay at this red and blue clad derby-inspired house in Manchester will become bookable exclusively on Booking.com here on January 11 at 10am and it is priced at £18.81 in honour of the year of the first ever Manchester derby.