Football ground set to go up for auction with £500k guide price
A six-acre site in Urmston that was once the home of North West Counties League side, Flixton FC, is to be put up for auction with a guide price of £500,000.
The ground will feature in a timed online auction held by SDL Property Auctions, part of Eddisons, with bids accepted from January 22-23.
The six-acre Flixton FC site, which is being marketed jointly with Hyde Estate and Letting Agents, includes the pitch, stands and commentators’ box, as well as a 7,000 sq ft clubhouse, car park and changing rooms.
The ground was officially opened in 1995 by the then Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.
Formed in 1960, Flixton FC was dissolved in 2012 after withdrawing from the North West Counties League due to dwindling match attendance and revenue.
The ground, in Valley Road, on a site close to the Manchester Ship Canal, has continued to host non-league and Sunday sides including Northwich Flixton Villa and Unicorn Athletic.
The Valley Road pitch measures 120 yards by 70 yards, making it one of the largest in the country.
A further, now overgrown, pitch which was used for training, will also be included in the sale.
Eddisons director, Andy Thompson, said: “The ground is in a fantastic location, in a peaceful spot close to the River Irwell, but also close to the Trafford Centre, the M60 and M62, and in an area with great schools and amenities, so there is certainly potential for redevelopment, subject to planning.”
He added: “Alternatively though, the site could also become a thriving community sports facility in the hands of a buyer who was able to invest and, of course, the ground still holds memories for fans of the Lions, as Flixton were known.”
Daniel Jaysan, of Hyde Estate and Letting Agents, said: “Opportunities like this very rarely come to the market so this auction really is one of a kind.“
The timed auction will be live streamed online from 12pm on January 22, closing at 2pm the following day.
