Mornington Crescent

A London Underground station on the Northern Line, and the effective goal in a game of Mornington Crescent. The station itself is situated at the North end of Camden High Street, about ten to fifteen minutes walk from Camden Town station.

The station was closed several years ago, allegedly for refurbishment, and crossed off tube maps. However, as the government cut funds to London Underground, the station and its predicament became a political pawn, after LU suspended all work.

London Underground claimed that its lack of funds was preventing it from refurbishing a perfectly useful station. Local residents asked why LU couldn't rebuild a less used station (MC was, prior to its closure, rather busier than the average station), or one with closer alternative stations. This led to the formation of the Mornington Crescent Community Action Group (MCCAG), which campaigned for the resumption of rebuilding work. The government cheerfully ignored both. During this period, trains slowed down through the station as a mark of respect, allowing passengers to stare sorrowfully at the dilapidated platforms and abandoned ladders and tools.

Recently, however, work seems to have restarted in earnest, the station is expected to be returned to its former glory within a matter of years. A spokesman for Camden Mornington Crescent Club, which traditionally never plays more that a few hundred yards away from the station, was said recently to be "delighted". [JH]

[Addendum] The station finally reopened in April 1998, in a private ceremony attended by the entire ISIHAC team (apart from Willie Rushton, who had died shortly before). A Pilgrimage was held by devoted fans of the game to mark the occasion. [JLE]

Unfortunately, on this occasion the pilgrims never saw the interior of the station as it immediately re-closed for a short time due to problems with the lifts. However these troubles now seem to be behind us and Mornington Crescent is genuinely open again. [JC]

And yet another Pilgrimage was, naturally, held almost immediately. The Pilgrims in question were fully prepared for yet another excuse, but this time the station really was open and the train actually DID stop at Mornington Crescent Station. (For everybody except PaulWay, that is, since he took the wrong tunnel in Euston Station, ended up on the wrong branch of the Northern Line, and didn't realise his mistake until the first stop turned out to be Camden Town. For the first and so far only time in his career, he was the *last* to reach MC...) [JLE]

There is a photo of the Great Station itself [here]. [B]

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