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On
Monday March 19, 1973, Manchester United brought a strong side to the Butchers Arms and the occasion was reported in
the Ashton Reporter as follows:- ‘When
it comes to raising cash, no-one can match Droylsden these days, it seems – for on Monday, a further £1,000 went into the kitty
from the Manchester United ‘spectacular.’ The Butchers Arms was bursting at the seams with over 5,000 people turning out to
see internationals Denis Law, David Sadler and Wyn Davies grace the local turf. After a bright start, the game failed to live up
to expectations and United won by an early goal from the Welsh international centre-forward. But the evening didn’t end there.
More than 600 people joined Droylsden in a successful cabaret session at the Broadway Club in Failsworth, where the United
players were the centre of attraction. ‘United
boss, Tommy Docherty unfortunately couldn’t be there – he was in Italy for the Anglo-Italian tournament – but his
second-in-command, Paddy Crerand, and trainer Bill Foulkes joined in the fun. Bloods’ manager, Derek Partridge made a couple of
presentations – one to Denis Law for his services to football and the other to John Fitzpatrick, the promising young
defender who was having to live with the knowledge that injury had cut short his playing career. ‘Droylsden’s
vice-chairman, Ray Owen further cemented relations between the two clubs by presenting a razor to Paddy Crerand for the Doc. It was of the electric variety – not a cut-throat! It was quite
an evening all round and the success of the venture means that Droylsden have raised, in 18 months, almost the whole of the cash
for the floodlights - £6,300.’ Teams: Droylsden: Mills, Tivey, Bell, Shawcross, Smith, Butterworth,
Wagstaffe, Nesbit, Swindells, Hurst, Clancy. Man United: Ryan, Griffiths, Clarkson, Morton, Arnie Sidebottom,
David Sadler, Olney, McGiven, Wyn Davies, Denis Law, Healey.
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