The Bishop Blaize
The Bishop Blaize is a pub in Stretford, Greater Manchester, run by JD Wetherspoon. It’s the closest pub to Old Trafford and a popular meeting place for Manchester United fans before games, known for its lively atmosphere and its “unique charm.”
Opened on 24 May 2000, the pub has hosted charity dinners with guests like Lee Sharpe and Denis Irwin, and even brewed a special Sharpies Blonde beer that raised funds. In 2017 it was chosen as a spot where fans could take photos with the Premier League trophy. In 2020, the Manchester Munich Memorial Foundation donated ribbons to remember the Munich Air Crash.
The Bishop Blaize has faced controversy, including graffiti in 2011 referencing the Munich crash and anti-Glazer messages. In 2016 there were complaints about match-day price increases, which the pub said were legal and necessary to cover extra security and staff.
Internationally, the pub is known to many Manchester United fans and is visited by foreign supporters before trips to Old Trafford. Eric Cantona has been known to enjoy the pub. It has also served as a recording venue for BBC Radio Manchester, and CAMRA notes it functions well as a local pub outside match days.
The pub is named after Saint Blaise, the patron saint of wool workers. Historically, there was a pub called Bishop Blaize nearby on Chester Road, close to Stretford Town Hall. James Bridley, an engineer of the Bridgewater Canal, stayed there during a nervous breakdown when the Barton aqueduct looked at risk.
In 2024, the pub was celebrated as one of the best Wetherspoons in the country, a claim highlighted by the Manchester Evening News after a visit. That year, Nicky Butt hosted a charity dinner at the pub, raising funds.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 09:31 (CET).