Dream or Premonition Locations

This page is about the locations that are specific to the story Dream or Premonition. Some of them may appear again in The Road to the Promised Land.

Note: all the locations in this page exist in real life.

Old Trafford[]

One of the main settings in the story, Old Trafford is an all-seater soccer stadium located in Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United since 1910. Nicknamed the Theatre of Dreams, the stadium was renovated and expanded through 4 phases between 1995 and 2006. It held a maximum capacity of 75,765 seats at the time of the 2012-13 season (Dream or Preominition). The majority of seats are painted red although groups of seats are painted white to display mosaics of the West Stand's colloquial name, the Stretford End, the name of the club on the North Stand (now renamed the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand) and the logo of the kit maker on the East Stand.

The outdoor front of the East Stand has a tinted glass facade, behind which the club's administrative offices are located. The entrance to the Megastore is located at ground level by the entrance leading to the seating areas of the East Stand. Standing just outside of the East Stand is the statue of former manager Sir Matt Busby. Across the street, a statue of the "United Trinity" was erected in honor of 1960s superstars Sir Bobby Charlton, Denis Law, and George Best. A statue of Sir Alex Ferguson was erected outside the stand on 23 November 2012.

In the years after 2013, Old Trafford reduced its capacity to 74,879 following rearrangements to increase room for the disabled supporters' section by July 2018 (The Road to the Promised Land) and finally to 74,310 since August 2019. In April 2016, the South Stand was renamed the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand. On 3 May 2023, a statue of former coach Jimmy Murphy will be unveiled outside the Stretford End to acknowledge his crucial role in steering Manchester United through its greatest crisis from the 1958 Munich Air Disaster.

West Didsbury[]

Didsbury is a suburban area of the City of Manchester, England. It lies on the North Bank of the River Mersey, 4.5 miles (7.2 km) south of Manchester city centre. It also stands close to junction 5 of the M60 motorway. Manchester Airport is about 4 miles (6.5 km) south of Didsbury. Nonetheless, Didsbury is also known for the high environmental quality of its recreational green spaces. In the story, West Didsbury is the peaceful neighborhood where Kakeru, Nana and Noriko chose to live in after arriving in Manchester. Although most Manchester United players live in the village of Alderley Edge, Kakeru, Nana and Noriko chose to buy their apartment (flat) in West Disbury because of the shorter distance on the way to the University of Manchester and an easy access to the motorway on the way to Carrington.

Carrington (Trafford Training Centre)[]

Manchester United - Carrington training centre front door — Entrance door to the main building

Appearing for the first time in Chapter 3, "Carrington" is Kakeru and Nana's workplace when off match duty and off from academic obligations. Referred often by the name of a nearby village, the hi-tech Trafford Training Centre (renamed the Aon Training Complex since April 2013 in real life) is the training ground and Academy base of Manchester United Football Club since 2000. It also serves as the training ground of all children and teenagers affiliated with Manchester United schools. Inside the compound, training and rehabilitation areas, physiotherapy and massage rooms, and remedial and hydrotherapy pools can be found. Also, squash and basketball courts, a sauna, steam and weight rooms, a restaurant, conference rooms, offices, classrooms and the club's television studio have been built as other parts of the complex. A total of 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of fencing and 30,000 trees surround the complex against the prying eyes of the media and opposition spies. In order to get past the remotely controlled security barrier, names are checked by intercom against the day's personnel and visitor list. With no surprise, the complex was nicknamed "Fortress Carrington" by the media.

Manchester Airport[]

Manchester Airport is an international airport located in Ringway, Manchester, England. In 2012, it was the 3rd busiest airport in the UK and the 21st busiest airport in Europe. Yet, Manchester Airport is the biggest British airport outside of London and offers the most destinations for a British airport with over 200 destinations. Located 4 miles (6.5 km) from Disbury, the airport is the setting where Kakeru, Nana and Noriko met their relatives as well as Mai when they arrived in Manchester, in Chapter 8.

Sapporo Teppanyaki[]

Sapporo Teppanyaki is a Japanese restaurant located in Manchester, opposite to the Museum of Science & Industry in Castlefield. When arriving inside, the first noticeable thing for any customer is the fresh and sophisticated Japanese-style décor. The restaurant offers the excitement and entertainment of traditional Teppanyaki cuisine. Talented show chefs usually display entertaining moves from knife skills, slicing food in half in midair to juggling as they prepare meals for the customers.

Sapporo Teppanyaki Restaurant Manchester (Inside) — Inside of Sapporo Teppanyaki

As the full name of the restaurant says, sushi and noodles are also on the menu. The restaurant also has a bar for customers who are in for a drink along with their meal. It is one of the most recommended restaurants in Manchester. Kakeru, Nana and Noriko invited their relatives and Mai for dinner in Chapter 8. Kakeru wanted to take everybody in a Japanese restaurant in town as he wasn't sure if his relatives would appreciate local cuisine. According to Noriko's parents, it is the best Japanese restaurant in Manchester.

Lowry Hotel Manchester[]

The Lowry Hotel is a 5-star hotel located in Salford, Greater Manchester. It is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World luxury hospitality consortium. The hotel itself has 165 rooms, 7 suites and a restaurant. It is the place where Manchester United players usually gather together ahead of a home match. In Chapter 9, Kakeru and Nana arrived at the hotel for a team lunch before going to Old Trafford with the rest of the team by bus for the big match. The drive between the Lowry Hotel and Old Trafford only takes 9 minutes.

Sam Platt's Pub[]

The Sam Platt's is a pub that's located on the South shore of the River Irwell, in Manchester. It stands only a few minutes away from Old Trafford. Alongside another pub named The Bishop Blaize, the Sam Platt's is one of the best and most passionate Manchester United supporters-only pubs in the city. Outside of the main building, there's also a tent where fans can buy a drink and chant out loud hilarious songs and banter to get themselves pumped up ahead of a match. In Chapter 9, the Aizawas, Mrs. Mishima, the entire Lewis family, Mai and Taeko met up just outside of the pub to enjoy the pre-match party before they went to the stadium.

Note: The Sam Platt's was closed in June 2017 and then demolished in October of the same year.

The Tavern, Yokohama[]

The Tavern is a popular destination for sports fans in Yokohama. It is a place where many foreigners come cheering on for their soccer teams. The pub is located in Downtown Yokohama, west of Yokohama Station and at the side of a small McDonald's restaurant. After going down the stairs, the visitor would open the door and enter the pub which is described as a little corner of England in Japan.

The Tavern Yokohama — Inside of The Tavern

In Chapters 9 through 14, it is the place where Kakeru's friends, former teammates, Coach Iwaki, Dr. Mine and M. Mishima all watch the Manchester derby on the big screen.