Famous Salfordians

Salford has probably had more than its fair share of celebrities over the years.

All kinds of well known people are associated with the city. Here's a selection of our famous sons and daughters:

  • Adam Thomas
    Actor.
  • Adrian Morley
    Rugby League player.
  • Alan Halsall
    Actor, Coronation Street.
  • Albert Finney
    Actor, born in Salford and grew up on Gore Crescent, Weaste.
  • Albert Leslie Yoxall
    Codebreaker, he worked alongside Alan Turing at Bletchley Park during Word War II.
  • Albert Scanlon
    Manchester United footballer and survivor of the Munich air disaster
  • Alfred Darbyshire
    Architect.
  • Alistair Cooke
    Radio journalist - 'Letter from America, Radio 4', born in Isaac Street, Salford in 1908.
  • Allan Clarke
    Musician, member of the Hollies.
  • Alliott Verdon Roe
    Pilot and aircraft manufacturer.
  • Andrew Knott
    Actor.
  • Andrew Whyment
    Actor
  • Andy Crane
    Television and radio presenter.
  • Al Read
    Popular radio comedian active throughout the 1950s and 1960s.
  • Arthur Thomas Doodson
    Oceanographer.
  • Arthur Wooliscroft
    Footballer.
  • Ayub Khan Din
    Actor.
  • Benedict Wong
    Actor.
  • Sir Ben Kingsley
    Oscar-winning actor, grew up in Pendlebury.
  • Bernard Sumner
    Musician, member of Joy Division and New Order.
  • Billy Garton
    Footballer.
  • Billy, Albert and Jack Marchant
    Boxers.
  • Bob Valentine
    Swinton rugby league and Manchester United goalkeeper. 
  • Brenda De Banzie
    Actress.
  • Catherine Tyldesley
    Actress - Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Holby City, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, Sorted, Shameless and Trollied.
  • Charlie Pawsey
    Rugby league footballer in the 1950s.
  • Chelsee Healey
    Actress.
  • Chris McGreal
    Rugby League player in the 1970s.
  • Christopher Eccleston
    Actor - 'Cracker', 'Shallow Grave', the former 'Doctor Who'.
  • Clinton Ford
    Singer.
  • Cornelius Nicholls
    Cricketer and umpire.
  • Damian Keeley
    Footballer
  • Danielle Nicholls
    Television and radio presenter.
  • David Bamber
    Actor.
  • David Watson
    Professor of Zoology and Anatomy.
  • Dean Holden
    Footballer. 
  • Debbie Horsfield
    Writer, producer.
  • Denis Betts
    Rugby player.
  • Di Stewart
    Television presenter.
  • Don Whillans
    Rock climber and mountaineer.
  • Doris Butterworth
    Dancer and tiller girl.
  • Eddie Colman
    Manchester United footballer who died in the Munich air disaster.
  • Edgar Lustgarten
    Crime writer and television presenter.
  • Edward Schunck
    Chemist, who did much work with dry eyes.
  • Edward Watkin
    British Member of Parliament and railway entrepreneur.
  • Edwin Alliot Verdon Roe
    British pilot and aircraft manufacturer, and founder in 1910 of A. V. Roe and Co.
  • Emmeline Pankhurst
    'Mrs Pankhurst' was one of the founders of the British suffragette movement.
  • Elkie Brooks
    Singer/songwriter.
  • Ewan MacColl
    Singer, songwriter, actor, playwright, radio broadcaster and socialist. Born in Broughton, Salford.
  • Franki Raffles
    Photographer and feminist.
  • Frances Eliza Hodgson
    Author, lived in Salford and her stays at the grand house in Buile Hill influenced The Secret Garden.
  • Francis Brandt
    Cricketer.
  • Fred and Peter Done
    Businessmen.
  • Freddie 'Parrot Face' Davies
    Comedian.
  • Frederick Marquis, 1st Earl of Woolton
    Businessman and statesman.
  • Gary Whelan
    Drummer with the Happy Mondays.
  • Geoff Bent
    MUFC footballer who died in the Munich air disaster.
  • Geoffrey Howard
    Clergyman and author, he famously walked across the Saraha carrying all his gear in a wheelbarrow.
  • George Bradshaw
    Printer and publisher.
  • George Costigan
    Actor, although not born in Salford George went to school in Salford.
  • George Keeling
    Swam in the 1912 Olympics. Killed in the trenches in 1916.
  • George Shepherd
    Photographer.
  • George Switzer
    Footballer.
  • Ghislaine Howard
    Artist.
  • Giant Haystacks (Martin Ruane)
    Wrestler, although not born in Salford Martin lived in Broughton from the age of three.
  • Gordon Wharmby
    Actor - Last of the Summer Wine, Poirot.
  • Graham Gouldman
    Singer, songwriter, musician and founding member of 10cc.
  • Graham Nash
    Songwriter - Crosby, Stills and...
  • Gus Aubrey
    Actor.
  • Harold Bratt
    Footballer for Manchester United from 1955 to 1961.
  • Harold Brighouse
    Playwright and author whose best known play is Hobson's Choice.
  • Sir Harold Evans
    Journalist and writer who was editor of The Sunday Times from 1967 to 1981.
  • Harold Riley
    Artist.
  • Harold Williams
    Ice skater.
  • Harry Dagnan
    Rugby player for Salford RLFC in the 1940s.
  • Harvey Jacobson
    Businessman and entrepreneur.
  • Hazel Blears
    Politician.
  • Helen Cherry
    Actress.
  • Ian Blease
    Rugby League player.
  • Ian Watson
    Rugby League coach and former Salford player.
  • Isabel Hodgins
    Actress.
  • James Fearnley
    Musician with the Pogues.
  • James Hazeldine
    Actor.
  • James Peters
    Rugby player, the first black man to play rugby union for England.
  • James Prescott Joule
    Physicist, known for his research in electricity and thermodynamics.
  • James W Gibson
    Businessman who was the owner of Manchester United.
  • Jamie Moore
    Professional boxer.
  • Jan Johnston
    Singer.
  • Jane Robinson
    Costume designer
  • Jason Done
    Actor.
  • Jason Manford
    Comedian, actor and television presenter.
  • Jim Moore
    Professional cyclist and ski instructor.
  • Jim Ramsbottom
    Regeneration expert who transformed the Castlefield area of Manchester.
  • Jim Valentine
    Rugby Union and Swinton Rugby League legend.
  • Joanne Whalley
    Actress.
  • Joe Bowker
    Professional boxer.
  • Joe Gladwin
    Actor - 'Last of the Summer Wine'.
  • Joe Riley
    Footballer.
  • John Cooper Clarke
    Inventor of punk poetry.
  • John Henry Poynting
    Physicist.
  • John Motson
    Football commentator.
  • John Thomson
    Actor and comedian.
  • John Virgo
    Snooker player and presenter.
  • Sir John Moores
    Businessman, born in Eccles on 25 January 1896. Founder of the Littlewoods empire (football pools and retail company). Liverpool Polytechnic took the name Liverpool John Moores University in his honour upon being granted University status in 1992.
  • John Wilkinson
    Businessman and former chairman of Salford RLFC.
  • Jon Christos
    Singer.
  • Joseph Brotherton
    Salford's first member of parliament - largely responsible for the opening of Peel Park, Salford and Weaste Cemetery.
  • Joseph Kay
    Economist.
  • Joseph Toole
    Born in Ordsall, politician and Lord Mayor of Manchester from 1936 to 1937.
  • Josie Rourke
    Theatre and film director.
  • Julian Ballantyne
    Television presenter.
  • Justin Chadwick
    Actor and director.
  • Kallum Higginbotham
    Footballer.
  • Kate Ford
    Actress.
  • Ken Reid
    Cartoonist, creator of Fudge the Elf and Roger the Dodger. 
  • Kenneth Wolstenholme
    Football commentator - 1966 World Cup.
  • Kris Smith
    Model and former Rugby League player.
  • Laura McLaren, Baroness Aberconway
    Suffragette, author and horticulture expert.
  • Laurence Stephen Lowry
    World famous artist, he lived in Station Road, Pendlebury.
  • Leslie Cussons
    Chairman of Cussons Sons & Co.
  • Lewis Tan
    Actor and martial artist.
  • Lilias Armstrong
    Phonetic expert.
  • Marc Tierney
    Footballer, part of the Norwich City team that were promoted to the Premiership in 2011.
  • Mark Addy
    Hero - renowned for saving over 50 people from drowning in the River Irwell, at a time when it was at its most polluted.
  • Mark Ashworth
    Actor.
  • Mark 'Bez' Berry
    Dancer with the Happy Mondays.
  • Mark Day
    Guitarist with the Happy Mondays.
  • Mark E. Smith
    Long-time member of 'The Fall', an English post-punk band, formed in Manchester in 1976.
  • Mary Naylor
    Artist.
  • Max Shacklady
    Olympic boxer and wrestler.
  • Michael Vaughan 
    England cricket captain, born in Eccles.
  • Michelle Keegan
    Actress, although not born in Salford Michelle went to school in Salford
  • Mike Amatt
    Musician and children's entertainer.
  • Mike Leigh
    Writer and director.
  • Mike Sweeney
    Broadcaster and DJ.
  • Mike Walker
    Jazz guitarist.
  • Mike Walling
    Comic actor and screenwriter.
  • Neil Midgley
    Referee.
  • Nick Blackman
    Footballer.
  • Nigel Pivaro
    Actor and journalist.
  • Sir Norman Moore
    Doctor and medical historian.
  • Pat Kirkwood
    Actress.
  • Paul Kenny
    Photographer.
  • Paul Scholes
    Footballer, born in Salford.
  • Paul Tierney
    Ex Manchester United player who was awarded the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the year 2001-02.
  • Pearce Quigley
    Actor.
  • Peter Hook
    Musician.
  • Sir Peter Maxwell Davies
    Classical music composer, appointed Master of the Queen's Music in March 2004.
  • Pete Travis
    Television and film director.
  • Phil Bardsley
    Footballer.
  • Phil Power
    Footballer.
  • Randolph Schwabe
    Artist and professor of fine art.
  • Rebecca Atkinson
    Actress.
  • Ren Harvieu
    Musician.
  • Richard Cobden
    Salford's apostle of free trade.
  • Richard Wright Procter
    Barber, poet and author.
  • Rob James-Collier
    Actor.
  • Robert Powell
    Actor - 'The Thirty-Nine Steps', 'Jesus of Nazareth'.
  • Robert Roberts
    Author.
  • Russell Watson
    Opera singer.
  • Ryan Giggs
    The Manchester United star has been a Salford resident since he was six years old.
  • Sacha Parkinson
    Actress.
  • Samia Ghadie
    Actress.
  • Shaun Ryder
    Singer with The Happy Mondays.
  • Shelagh Delaney
    Playwright and screenwriter, best known for her debut work, 'A Taste of Honey'.
  • Shelley Holroyd
    Javelin thrower.
  • Sinéad Moynihan
    Model and actress.
  • Sir Simon Gerard McDonald
    British diplomat.
  • Stan Pearson
    Footballer between 1936 and 1959.
  • Stephen Foster
    Boxer.
  • Stephen Lord
    Actor.
  • Steve Evets
    Actor.
  • Syd Walker
    Actor and comedian.
  • Sydney Chapman
    Mathmatician.
  • Terry Eagleton
    Literary Theorist.
  • The Ting Tings
    The indie pop duo formed in 2007 at Islington Mill studios in Salford.
  • Thomas Worthington
    Architect.
  • Tim Burgess
    Singer songwriter (Charlatans).
  • Tom Brown
    Artist.
  • Tom Dodson
    Artist.
  • Tom Hudson
    Actor.
  • Tommy Fury
    Boxer and Love Island contestant. 
  • Tony Flynn
    Author and local historian.
  • Tony Neary
    Rugby Union player.
  • Tony Shacklady
    Olympic wrestler.
  • Anthony 'Doc' Shiels
    Artist, writer, magician.
  • Tony Warren
    Creator of TV's 'Coronation Street'.
  • Tony Wilson
    Record label owner, radio and TV presenter and journalist.
  • Victoria Armstrong
    Dancer.
  • Walter Greenwood
    Author - 'Love on the Dole'.
  • William Cooke
    Clergyman and hymn writer.
  • Reverend William Cowherd
    One of the philosophical forerunners of the Vegetarian Society, formed in 1847.
  • William Crabtree
    Predicted and recorded a transit of Venus in 1639.
  • William Lockett
    First Mayor of Salford, 1844 to 1845.
  • William Renshaw
    Seven time Wimbledon winner between 1881 and 1889, including six consecutive titles.
  • William Webb Ellis
    Supposed inventor of rugby.
  • William Worrall Mayo
    Doctor and founder of the Mayo Clinic.
  • Winifred Mary Letts
    Writer.
  • Yousaf Ali Khan
    Film director.

Is somebody missing from this list?

If you know a famous Salfordian who isn't listed on this page, please email public.relations@salford.gov.uk with details. Please note this email cannot pick up customer service or council tax queries. For help, please go to our how to contact us page

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