This article is about the stadium; for the football club, see Maine Road F.C.

Maine Road was a large football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England. Maine Road FC are an English football club based in the suburb of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester and currently playing in the Premier Division Moss Side is a residential suburb district and electoral ward of Manchester in North West England situated two miles Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. TalkManchester City FC before changing verbs to singular --> Manchester City Football Club is an English professional football club TalkManchester City FC before changing verbs to singular --> Manchester City Football Club is an English professional football club Moss Side is a residential suburb district and electoral ward of Manchester in North West England situated two miles England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland It was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003. TalkManchester City FC before changing verbs to singular --> Manchester City Football Club is an English professional football club

When first opened, the stadium was the largest club ground in England, and the second largest in the country after Wembley Stadium. original Wembley Stadium was a football Stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the Maine Road's record attendance was set in 1934, when 84,569 people attended an FA Cup tie between Manchester City and Stoke City, a record for an English club ground (the FA Cup Final 1923 holds the world record). The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after Stoke City Football Club is a football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Route to the final FA Cup 1922-23 Match summary Build-up Such was the eagerness of fans and casual observers to attend the final at the new National The design of the ground changed several times over its 80 year history. Prior to closure Maine Road was an all-seater stadium, with a capacity of 35,150.

The 2002-03 season was Manchester City's last at Maine Road, with the last match played on 11 May 2003, Manchester City losing 1-0 to Southampton- the goal scored by Swedish defender Michael Svensson. Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Southampton Football Club is a professional English football team, nicknamed The Saints and based in the city of Southampton. Michael Svensson (born 25 November 1975) is a Swedish professional football player who plays as a central defender and is captain of Southampton The following season Manchester City relocated to the newly-built City of Manchester Stadium in east Manchester. The City of Manchester Stadium, which is also known as COMS or Eastlands, is a sports venue in Manchester, England. Maine Road was demolished in 2004.

Construction

Plans to build Maine Road were first announced in May 1922, following a decision by Manchester City F. C. to leave their Hyde Road ground, which did not have room for expansion and had been damaged by fire in 1920. Hyde Road was a football Stadium in Ardwick, Manchester, England ^[1] A site in Belle Vue, East Manchester was suggested, but at eight acres the area of the site was deemed insufficient. Belle Vue is a district of Manchester (post code M12 England between Longsight and Gorton. ^[2] To many City fans east Manchester was regarded as City's home and many were disappointed when a site in south Manchester was chosen. A sixteen and a quarter acre former brickworking was purchased for £5,500,^[3] and construction commenced late in 1922. Plans by architect Charles Swain proposed a 120,000 capacity ground based on the design of Hampden Park, though these plans were scaled back to give a capacity of 80,000. Charles Edward Swain (16 January 1885 &ndash 9 February 1974 was an Australian athlete. Hampden Park in Glasgow is Scotland 's National stadium. Its primary use is as the home to Queen's Park F However, this figure was still the second largest in the country, behind Wembley Stadium, leading to a label of "The Wembley of the North". original Wembley Stadium was a football Stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the Wembley had opened in London only a few months earlier, the near-simultaneous development being a source of rivalry between the northern and southern divisions of builders Sir Robert McAlpine^[4], who built both stadiums. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd is a private British company headquartered in London. During construction, the stadium was reputedly cursed by a gypsy when Manchester City officials evicted a gypsy camp from the area. However, the gypsy curse is likely to be an urban myth, as such stories are endemic to a number of football league grounds. An urban legend or urban myth is a form of modern Folklore consisting of stories thought to be factual by those circulating them Construction took 300 days, the total cost £100,000. ^[5] The initial layout of the ground consisted of one covered stand with a seating capacity of 10,000, and uncovered terracing on the other three sides, with gentle curves connecting the corners. Seating capacity refers to the number ^[6]

Early years

The first match at Maine Road took place on 25 August 1923, and saw 56,993 fans watch the home side beat Sheffield United by two goals to one. Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire. ^[6] The first changes to the ground took place in 1931, when the corner between the Main Stand and the Platt Lane end at the south of the ground was rebuilt to incorporate a roof. ^[7] The highest attendance at an English football game of any type at a club ground was at Maine Road on the March 3, 1934, when Manchester City played Stoke City in front of 84,569 fans in the 6th round of the FA Cup. Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Stoke City Football Club is a football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Changes at the Platt Lane end took place in 1935, extending the terracing and providing a roof for the full stand. This marked the peak capacity of the ground, estimated at around 88,000. ^[8] Further changes were planned, but were suspended when Manchester City were relegated from Division One in 1938, and abandoned when World War II broke out. The Football League First Division was the highest division of The Football League between 1993 and 2004 and the highest division of English football overall between World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including ^[7]

Progressive capacity and attendances for Manchester City matches at Maine Road

The stadium was shared by Manchester United for a period after the Second World War, since Manchester United's Old Trafford ground had been partially destroyed during the Manchester Blitz. The Blitz was the sustained bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941 in World War II. United paid City £5000 per season, plus a share of gate receipts. ^[9] The highest attendance for a League game at Maine Road occurred during this period, when 83,260 people watched Manchester United play Arsenal on January 17, 1948. Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This figure is a national record for a League game. ^[10]

Floodlights were installed in 1953, and in 1957, prompted by the hosting of two FA Cup semi-finals in successive years,^[11] the side facing the Main Stand (which until that time was generally known as the Popular Side) was redeveloped and named The Kippax Stand after a nearby street. ^[12] Over the course of the 1960s and 1970s, the Kippax became the part of the ground where the club's most vociferous fans congregated. ^[1] In 1963, benches were installed at the Platt Lane end, meaning that Maine Road had more seats than any other English club ground of the time. ^[12] The next major redevelopment came in the 1970s, with the construction of the North Stand, a cantilevered stand which remained in place until the closure of Maine Road. The 1980s saw ambitious plans for improvements: however, these plans were shelved due to financial pressures after the Main Stand roof had been replaced at a cost of £1 million.

Maine Road on 11 May 2003, shortly before Manchester City's final game at the stadium

Regeneration

By 1990, some areas of the ground looked antiquated, and the Platt Lane stand was demolished in 1992. Its place was taken by the all-seater Umbro Stand that also incorporated executive boxes. The stand was renamed back to the Platt Lane Stand in the late 1990s. The era of standing accommodation at Maine Road came to an end in 1994 as the stadium became all-seater to comply with the requirements of the Taylor Report with the demolition of the Kippax Street Terrace. The Taylor Report is a document whose development was overseen by Lord Taylor of Gosforth, concerning the aftermath and causes of the Hillsborough disaster in The final match where standing was permitted took place on 30 April 1994,^[13] Chelsea the visitors for a 2–2 draw. Immediately prior to demolition the capacity of the Kippax terrace was 18,300. ^[11] A three-tier stand was built in its place, which upon its completion was the tallest in the country. The new stand was an impressive modern facility, but it also emphasised the haphazard nature in which the ground had been redeveloped, as all four sides were of differing heights and construction styles.

Relocation

There were plans for further expansion at Maine Road to take the capacity to 45,000 all-seated, but these were abandoned in favour of relocation to the City of Manchester Stadium that was being constructed for the Commonwealth Games in 2002. The City of Manchester Stadium, which is also known as COMS or Eastlands, is a sports venue in Manchester, England. The Commonwealth Games is a multinational Multi-sport event. Held every four years it involves the elite athletes of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The final competitive match before the closure of the stadium took place on 11 May 2003. Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Manchester City ended the Maine Road era with a 1-0 defeat to Southampton F.C., with Michael Svensson scoring the stadium's last goal. Southampton Football Club is a professional English football team, nicknamed The Saints and based in the city of Southampton. Michael Svensson (born 25 November 1975) is a Swedish professional football player who plays as a central defender and is captain of Southampton The final match was followed by short performances by musical acts Badly Drawn Boy and Doves. Damon Gough (nicknamed Badly Drawn Boy) was born 2 October 1969, in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. Doves is an English Indie rock band which formed in Wilmslow, Cheshire, England, although most of their early gigs

City's final goal at the stadium was scored on 26 April 2003 by Marc-Vivien Foe, who died on 26 June that year from an undetected heart condition while representing the Cameroon national football team. Events 1467 - The miraculous image in Our Lady of Good Counsel appear in Genazzano, Italy. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Marc-Vivien Foé ( May 1, 1975 - June 26, 2003) was a Cameroonian international football player who played in midfield The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Lions Indomptables (Indomitable Lions, is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's

Maine Road Football Ground being demolished

Toward the end of Maine Road's lifespan there were proposals for other sports teams to make use of the stadium following City's relocation; Stockport County once expressed interest in relocating there from Edgeley Park,^[10] and in December 2000 the Sale Sharks rugby union team were offered a lease for the stadium. Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, England. Edgeley Park is the home of Stockport County Football Club and Sale Sharks Rugby union club Sale Sharks are a professional Rugby union team who play in England in the Guinness Premiership. ^[14] However, none of the proposals came to fruition.

An auction of the ground's fixtures and fittings took place in July 2003, raising £100,000, which was donated to community projects in the Moss Side area, which was undergoing a lengthy regeneration process. ^[15] Demolition began in late 2003, taking seven months. ^[16] Two years later the go-ahead was given for a new housing development to take part on the site, consisting of 474 homes. ^[17]

Pitch

For long periods of its history Maine Road had the widest pitch in England. However, the width was changed several times by managers wishing to alter the pitch size to suit their style of play. In the final season before the ground was closed, the pitch size was 107 x 71 metres (117 x 77 2/3 yards).

Other uses

Maine Road hosted two England internationals, the first was a 3-0 defeat of Wales on November 13, 1946 and the second a 9-2 win over Northern Ireland on November 16, 1949, England's first ever World Cup qualifier. The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football The Wales national football team represents Wales in international men's football. Events 1002 - English king Ethelred orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international football. Events 534 - A second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus is published Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international Association football In addition, A number of wartime internationals were held at the ground. Maine Road was also the venue for a number of rugby league matches, hosting the rugby league championship final eleven times between 1938 and 1956. History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games ^[10]

The stadium was used for several scenes in the 1948 motion picture Cup-tie Honeymoon. Cup-Tie Honeymoon was the first Motion picture to be filmed at the Dickenson Road Studios by the Mancunian Film Corporation in 1948, themed around More recently, it was featured in the 2000 film There's Only One Jimmy Grimble and the 2003 ITV drama The Second Coming, which starred Christopher Eccleston. There's Only One Jimmy Grimble is a 1999 film set around Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent The Second Coming is a two-part British Television drama first screened on ITV in the UK in February 2003. Christopher Eccleston (krɪstəfə ˈɛkəlstən born 16 February 1964 is an award-winning English stage, Film and Television Actor

Maine Road has also played host to a number of rock concerts, with bands including The Rolling Stones,Simple Minds Queen, Fleetwood Mac, Bryan Adams, Jean Michel Jarre, Dire Straits, David Bowie (on two occasions), and Guns N' Roses performing at the stadium. Simple Minds are a rock band from Scotland, who had their greatest worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s Queen were an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Fleetwood Mac are a British / American {Otherpeople|Brian Adams}} Bryan Adams OC, OBC, (born Bryan Guy Adams on November 5, 1959) is a Canadian rock Jean-Michel André Jarre (born 24 August 1948, Lyon) is a French Composer, performer and Music producer. Dire Straits was a British rock band, formed in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (guitar and vocals his brother David Knopfler (guitar David Bowie (ˈboʊiː born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947 is an English Musician, actor producer, and arranger. Guns N' Roses is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 The most high profile concert held at Maine Road was that of Mancunian band Oasis (themselves avowed Manchester City fans) in April 1996, a performance which was later released as a video, Oasis:...There and Then. Oasis are an English rock band that formed in Manchester in 1991 There and Then is a live video consisting of footage taken from three of Oasis ' biggest shows from the 1995-96 " (What's the Story Morning Glory? " tour Prince also played the stadium twice in the early 1990s, as did Pink Floyd in 1988. Prince Rogers Nelson (born June 7 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American musician Pink Floyd are In 1974, teen idol David Cassidy played the stadium. David Bruce Cassidy (born April 12, 1950) is an American prolific character actor of stage Singer and Guitarist.

Maine Road Football Club

Maine Road also gives its name to a non-league football team, Maine Road F.C. The team, who currently play in the North West Counties Football League Division One, were founded by a group of Manchester City supporters in 1955. Maine Road FC are an English football club based in the suburb of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester and currently playing in the Premier Division Overview The league was formed in 1982 by the merger of the Cheshire County League and the Lancashire Combination. ^[18] The club previously based its headquarters at the social club adjoining Maine Road.

References

• James, Gary (2003). Farewell to Maine Road. Leicester: Polar. ISBN 1-899538-19-4.  
• Cummins, Kevin (2003). We're not really here : Manchester City's final season at Maine Road. London: Dazed. ISBN 1-904688-00-4.  

Footnotes

External links

• The Stadium Guide - Maine Road. Retrieved on July 27, 2005.
• BBC Sport - Saints spoil Maine Road party. Retrieved on July 27, 2005.