Millworkers to Mid Field an Industrial Tour with a Football Twist

5.0 (11 reviews) 2 hours Free cancellation

out of 5

11 reviews

5.0

Millworkers to Mid Field an Industrial Tour with a Football Twist — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Millworkers to Mid Field an Industrial Tour with a Football Twist, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

Step into Manchester’s past and discover how industry, poverty, protest, revolution and football shaped the city. From the rise of the cotton mills and the tragedy of Peterloo to the fight for workers’ and women’s rights, this is a story of a city that has always challenged the establishment.

But this is also the story of how Manchester’s streets became the birthplace of a football culture that would eventually conquer the world. Hear the stories of Engels, Marx, Emmeline Pankhurst and the Suffragettes, before uncovering a surprising side of Manchester’s history.

Discover how poverty, overcrowded neighbourhoods and a lack of opportunities helped create the notorious Scuttlers, and how football was introduced as a way of giving young men something more positive to fight for. Follow the story from early working-class football clubs to the rise of Manchester United and Manchester City, and discover how both clubs grew from communities trying to improve the lives of local people.

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At a glance

Duration: 2 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Up to 40 people
People per booking: 1–15
Guide: English
Operated by: Top Tours Global

Ages: Infants (1–3 years) · Children (4–12 years) · Youth (13–17 years) · Adults (18–64 years) · Seniors (65–100 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Information and entry for the tour

Not included

Not included: Alcoholic Beverages

Itinerary

St Peter's Square

10 min

We would discuss how Manchester changed during the Industrial Revolution. We would explain how factories, steam power, the cotton industry, canals and coal helped Manchester become a wealthy industrial city. We will also discuss Richard Arkwright and how his success encouraged the growth of textile factories and brought more workers to Manchester.
Peterloo Massacre Monument

10 min

We would discuss the poor living and working conditions in Manchester after the Napoleonic Wars, including overcrowding, low wages and lack of political representation. We would explain how people demanded voting rights and reform, leading to the Peterloo Massacre in 1819, when soldiers attacked a peaceful crowd, and many people were killed or injured. Discuss how Peterloo became an important event in the fight for democracy and helped lead to later political reforms.
Abraham Lincoln Statue

10 min

We would discuss Manchester’s textile industry and how it depended heavily on cotton from the American South. We would explain how the American Civil War caused a cotton shortage, leaving thousands of workers unemployed. We would also discuss how Manchester’s workers supported the Union and opposed slavery, including their letter to Abraham Lincoln. Finally, we would look at Manchester’s role in the abolitionist movement and its links with figures such as Frederick Douglass.
Chetham's Library

10 min

We would discuss Chetham’s Library and how writers like Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell showed the struggles of the working poor. We would then learn about Friedrich Engels, who saw the terrible conditions in Manchester and worked with Karl Marx. Together, they developed their ideas about class struggle and capitalism, which led to the publication of The Communist Manifesto in 1848. Manchester played an important role in shaping their revolutionary ideas.
National Football Museum

10 min

We would discuss the rise of Manchester’s Scuttlers, young working-class gangs that formed in overcrowded neighbourhoods and fought over territory. We would look at their distinctive clothing and hairstyles, as well as how football and Lads’ Clubs were used to give young people safer alternatives to gang violence. We would also discuss how local football clubs, including Manchester United and Manchester City, developed from efforts to improve the lives of working-class communities. Finally, we would compare the Scuttlers with later football hooligan firms and how both were linked to poverty, unemployment and a lack of opportunities for young men.
Statue Of Emmeline Pankhurst

10 min

We would discuss Emmeline Pankhurst and the fight for women’s right to vote. We would explain how she grew up in Manchester surrounded by political activism and later founded the WSPU, helping lead the suffragette movement. We would look at the protests, arrests, hunger strikes and sacrifices made by suffragettes, including Emily Davison. Finally, we would discuss how women gradually gained voting rights, with equal voting rights to men achieved in 1928.

Meeting point and pickup

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

Meeting point

Meet outside the pub, The Vine Inn

End point

Meet outside the pub, The Vine Inn

Cancellation

Free cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

If you cancel	You get back
At least one day before	100%
Less than a day before	0%

The operator may cancel if the weather does not allow it; you then get another date or your money back.
The operator may cancel if too few people book; you then get another date or your money back.