69-519: Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side , Manchester , England, that was home to Manchester City from 1923 to 2003. It hosted FA Cup semi-finals , the Charity Shield , a League Cup final and England matches. Maine Road's highest attendance of 84,569 was set in 1934 at an FA Cup sixth round match between Manchester City and Stoke City , a record for an English club ground. At
138-515: A 'deep clear pool' and an old black and white timber-framed farmhouse, later identified as Pepperhill Farm. Following the Industrial Revolution there was a process of unplanned urbanisation and a rapid increase in population size. In 1866 Moss Side became a separate civil parish , from 1894 to 1904 Moss Side was an urban district , on 1 October 1910 the parish was abolished and merged with South Manchester . The population in 1801
207-513: A 2–2 draw. Immediately before demolition, the capacity of the Kippax terrace was 18,300. A three-tier stand was built in its place, holding nearly 14,000 spectators, and on its completion in October 1995 it was the tallest stand in the country, built at a cost of £16 million, four times the turnover of the club, according to then-chairman Francis Lee . The revamp of the Kippax was the second phase of
276-603: A 3–0 victory over Sunderland . Sixty-six days later, Fóe died on 26 June from an undetected heart condition while representing the Cameroon national football team during the 2003 Confederations Cup . 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. The two penalty spots and
345-437: A Premiership match against Southampton . Tickets were sold upwards of £250 and a crowd of 34,957, about 100 short of maximum capacity, filled Maine Road for the final day. City lost the match 1–0 with Michael Svensson scoring the stadium's last goal. The final match was followed by performances by musical acts Badly Drawn Boy and Doves . City's final goal at the stadium was scored on 21 April 2003 by Marc-Vivien Foé during
414-501: A decision by Manchester City to leave their Hyde Road ground, which did not have room for expansion and its main stand had been severely damaged by fire in 1920. Two sites in Belle Vue in east Manchester were suggested, but neither was deemed sufficient. To many City fans east Manchester was regarded as City's home and a move to Belle Vue seemed right. But the site was just 8 acres (32,000 m) and an available lease of fifty years
483-574: A five-part development plan that would have cost £40million and increased the stadium's capacity to 45,024. However, the club abandoned these plans as City were relegated from the Premier League in 1996 and from Division One two years later. 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. There were further plans for expansion that would have taken
552-628: A former Methodist chapel built about 1875 in the Neo-Gothic style and contains stained glass windows commemorating victims of the Holocaust . It is a few yards south of Christ Church. The former Swedenborgian Church also dates from 1888 and is Neo-Gothic in style. It was built to replace the previous Swedenborgian church in Peter Street, Manchester. On an adjacent site was the Church of
621-494: A high crime rate. In April 1994, The Independent newspaper highlighted Moss Side as one of the most deprived areas in Britain, and as having some of the highest crime rates. Drug abuse was described as one of the area's biggest problems, with gun crime rates being so high that there had recently been 400 armed incidents reported within a 12-month period. Ambulance crews had resorted to wearing body armour after having to deal with
690-437: A library, along with recreational and sport groups. Windrush Millennium Centre, which provides adult education and other community facilities, is situated on Alexandra Road. Additionally, the area features a number of Polish and Indian restaurants and eateries. It has also in recent years seen the opening of several Somali cafes. In 2003, Ducie Central High School was replaced by the independently run Manchester Academy , with
759-633: A new stadium on Maine Road on 25 August 1923, having moved from Hyde Road , Ardwick ; on its opening it was one of the most capacious sports stadiums in the United Kingdom, capable of holding up to 85,000 spectators. The club would play there for the next 80 years. During the Manchester Blitz in the Second World War many of the terraced houses were damaged by German bombing on the night of 22/23 December 1940. Migrants from
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#1732791581027828-505: 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 Football League Championship Final eleven times between 1938 and 1956. It also hosted the rugby league match of the cross code challenge between Wigan Rugby League and Bath rugby union . Maine Road hosted Manchester United's first three home games of
897-476: A population of 20,745 at the 2021 census . Moss Side is bounded by Hulme to the north, Chorlton-on-Medlock , Rusholme and Fallowfield to the east, Whalley Range to the south, and Old Trafford to the west. As well as Whitworth Park and Alexandra Park , Moss Side is close to Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan universities. Manchester City played at Maine Road in Moss Side between 1923 and 2003. Historically part of Lancashire , Moss Side
966-804: A replay. It hosted the 1984 Football League Cup final replay , which Liverpool won 1–0 against Everton . The stadium was used for several scenes in the 1948 motion picture Cup-tie Honeymoon . In later years, 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 . The stadium hosted concerts by many famous artists, including Bryan Adams , Bon Jovi , David Bowie , David Cassidy , Dire Straits , Faith No More , Fleetwood Mac , Guns N' Roses , Jean Michel Jarre , Motörhead , The New Power Generation , Oasis , Pink Floyd , Prince , Queen , Soundgarden , The Rolling Stones , Simple Minds and Mavis Staples , among others. The most high-profile concert held at Maine Road
1035-616: A significant shift in the demography of Moss Side, in terms of age structure, from the middle of the last decade and projected into the middle of this decade, with more in the under 10 and 25–35 age groups, suggesting an increase in families with younger children. Other sources indicate an accompanying change in Moss Side's ethnic population, with an estimated marked percentage increase in the Afro-Caribbean, Indian, Somali, Chinese and Eastern European communities between 2007 and 2015. Source: Manchester City Council Moss Side has
1104-411: A string of mostly drug-related shootings. Several doctors had been robbed of medical bags at knife point after being called out to local patients. A number of police vehicles had been fire-bombed and there had been reports of attempted ambushes on police patrols. Unemployment stood at nearly 30% – up to three times the national average in the early 1990s. The following stabbings and shootings happened in
1173-470: A trade in illegal narcotics and firearms contributing to Manchester's later nickname of "Gunchester". "Turf wars" between rival drugs 'gangs', resulted in a high number of fatal shootings. During what has been termed the Madchester phase of the history of Manchester , narcotic trade in the city became "extremely lucrative" and in the early 1990s a gang war started between two groups vying for control of
1242-443: A very high standard of eco-friendliness , with solar panels , water butts , thermal "skin" insulation and sun pipes being used' and aiming to offer 2, 3 and 4-bedroom homes with 'low running costs', the development plan states its aim, along with that at Maine Road, as being to provide mixed type "higher specification" housing, "diversify tenure" and promote the area as a "neighbourhood of choice". Marketed as "Infusion Homes",
1311-523: Is a local community enterprise which takes donations of apples from trees in Moss Side and the surrounding area and makes them into cider and apple juice. Those who donate the apples get a share of what is produced. The northern England office of Aquatech Pressmain, which specialises in the 'supply of fluid pumping equipment to the Building Services, Process and Water Industries', is located in Moss Side. Bridgewater Hospital, on Princess Road,
1380-484: Is a private hospital that provides a range of healthcare treatments. In 2007, the Moss Side ward was estimated to have a total population of 17,537, of which 8,785 were male and 8,752 were female. Moss Side is noted as an area with a greater population density and a faster population growth than other areas of the city of Manchester, with an increase of 17.4% between 2001 and 2007. The "Moss Side ward profile: Version 2010/1", produced by Manchester City Council , points to
1449-591: Is broadly characterised as a high-density residential area. This includes mainly Victorian and Edwardian terraces to the east and centre, with more recent developments, primarily the Alexandra Park Estate, built in the 1970s to the west of Princess Road. The Moss Side Sports and Leisure Complex (north of Moss Lane West) was upgraded for the 2002 Commonwealth Games and has a gym and a variety of other sporting facilities. Moss Side has benefited from very substantial redevelopment and regeneration since
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#17327915810271518-530: Is in the process of redevelopment, marketed as Maine Place, primarily as 2, 3 and 4-bedroom houses but including a limited number of flats, for sale or shared ownership, with many homes completed and occupied, along with a primary school, now open, and a health centre planned. The Bowes Street area, adjoining Princess Road, has been redeveloped, at the cost of £17 million, including the renovation or transformation, with some new build, of 155 properties in five streets. Reported as being 'built or converted to
1587-536: Is now owned by Heineken for the production of Foster's Lager . There has been a brewery on this site since 1875. Originally built as the Albert Brewery, by 1915 it had become known as the Moss Side Brewery. A report in the 1880s commented: "The water at the brewery is of exceptionally good quality, containing all the necessary elements for producing the finest ales, which cannot be surpassed in
1656-496: The 1956–57 European Cup , as Old Trafford did not have floodlights installed and so was deemed unsuitable to host matches in the tournament. The first European match at the ground saw United thrash Belgian champions RSC Anderlecht 10–0 in the preliminary round, a competition record which stood for seventeen years. It hosted many FA Cup semi-finals, the last being in April 1994 when Manchester United beat Oldham Athletic 4–1 in
1725-709: The A5103 (Princess Road) , the main road out of Manchester towards Northenden , Manchester Airport , the M56 motorway and Chester . Parallel to this is Alexandra Road, which continues as Alexandra Road South past Alexandra Park (Alexandra Road was formerly one of two main shopping streets in Moss Side). Landmarks on Princess Road are the Royal Brewery and the Princess Road Bus Depot, built originally for
1794-520: The Indian subcontinent and Caribbean settled in the locality during the 1950s and 1960s, and by the 1980s Moss Side was the hub of Manchester's Afro-Caribbean community . During the 1960s and early 1970s, Manchester City Council demolished many of the Victorian and terraced houses to the west of Moss Side and replaced these with new council houses and flats. Most of the newer properties, built around
1863-778: The Labour Party MP Lucy Powell . Following boundary changes in 2018 a portion of the ward is a part of the Manchester Gorton constituency, represented by the Labour Party MP Afzal Khan . Moss Side is a ward within the local authority of Manchester City Council . The ward is represented by Labour Councillors : Mahadi Hussein Sharif Mahamed (Lab), Emily Rowles (Lab), and Erinma Bell (Lab). indicates seat up for re-election. Moss Side lies either side of
1932-512: The Manchester Blitz . United paid City £5,000 per season, plus a share of gate receipts. The highest attendance for a league game at Maine Road occurred during this period, when 83,260 people watched Manchester United play Arsenal on 17 January 1948. This figure is a national record for a league game. Maine Road was also used by Manchester United to host three of their four home games in the 1956–57 European Cup , until floodlights were installed at Old Trafford as required by UEFA . Floodlights for
2001-576: The North West Counties Football League Division One, was founded by a group of Manchester City supporters in 1955. The club previously based its headquarters at the social club adjoining Maine Road. Footnotes Bibliography Moss Side Moss Side is an inner-city area of Manchester , in Greater Manchester , England, 1.9 miles (3.1 km) south of the city centre , It had
2070-826: The Times Educational Supplement national Primary School of the Year award. The Windrush Millennium Centre on Alexandra Road provides facilities for courses of college and adult education, including some run by the City College Manchester and Manchester College of Arts and Technology . Manchester City Council runs the Greenheys Adult Learning Centre on Upper Lloyd Street. There are nearest secondary schools, including St Peter's RC High School . The original St James's Church (Church of England), Princess Road,
2139-521: The tramways in 1909 and used by Stagecoach Manchester until 2010. The western border of the Moss Side Ward is bounded in part by Withington Road. Parts of the eastern border are bounded by Wilmslow Road , where it meets Whitworth Park, and Parkfield Street. To the south, the border includes Alexandra Park, Horton Road and part of Platt Lane. To the north, the ward border mainly runs along Moss Lane East. The built environment of Moss Side
Maine Road - Misplaced Pages Continue
2208-824: The African and Caribbean Mental Health Service, and the African-Caribbean Care Group, which serve the Afro-Caribbean community. The Caribbean Carnival of Manchester is also held in the area every August, usually in Alexandra Park. The Indian Senior Citizens group provides support for the elderly within the Indian community. Additionally, the Somali Bravanese Sisters and the Polish School Manchester cater to
2277-570: The Gypsy curse is likely to be an urban myth , as such stories are endemic to a number of Football League grounds. Construction took 300 days at a total cost of £100,000. 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. The first match at Maine Road took place on 25 August 1923 when 58,159 fans watched Manchester City beat Sheffield United 2–1. The first changes to
2346-725: The Main Stand roof had been replaced at a cost of £1 million. By 1990, some areas of the ground were becoming outdated, and there was the need for the stadium to become all-seater following the outcome of the Taylor Report in January that year, and the Platt Lane stand was demolished in 1992. Its place was taken by the all-seater Umbro Stand that also incorporated executive boxes and was opened in March 1993. The name reverted to
2415-554: The Moss Cider Project and Carbon Co-op. Moss Side Community Allotment states its aim as involving volunteers in growing and making available locally produced organic food. A local disused space, known as 'The Triangle', involved a community group in regenerating wasteground into a communal garden. Other groups, such as Bowes Street Residents Association have sought to 'green' the area through the use of 'alley gating' and planting in contained alleys. The 'meanwhile garden' on
2484-619: The Moss Side Millennium Power House, Grace Church Manchester, which meets in the Manchester Academy building, Church of God of Prophecy on Raby Street and South Manchester Family Church, which meets at Manchester High School for Girls. There are two Roman Catholic churches, the Church of Divine Mercy, a Polish church founded in 1961, which is on Moss Lane East; and the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour (founded 1949). The Polish church occupies
2553-608: The New Age (founded 1923) and there was also in Raby Street the Wesleyan Methodist Church. From 1923, Moss Side was the location of Manchester City F.C. 's stadium at Maine Road which on several occasions in its early years drew crowds of more than 80,000. However its capacity was gradually reduced over the years and by the mid-1990s it held just under 35,000 spectators all seated. Plans to rebuild
2622-750: The Platt Lane Stand in 1997, when Kappa replaced Umbro as City's kit suppliers. The era of standing accommodation at Maine Road came to an end in May 1994 as the stadium became all-seater to comply with the requirements of the Taylor Report, with the demolition of the Kippax Street Terrace, which, unusually for an all-standing area, was located at the side of the pitch instead of behind the goals. The final match with standing permitted took place on 30 April 1994, against Chelsea for
2691-602: 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 88,000. Further changes were planned, but suspended when Manchester City were relegated from the First Division in 1938 and abandoned when World War II broke out. The stadium was shared by Manchester United after the Second World War as Manchester United's Old Trafford ground had been damaged during
2760-640: The Somali and Polish communities, respectively. The Reno was a late night club at the junction of Princess Road and Moss Lane East in Moss Side. The Reno and the Nile (upstairs from the Reno) were Manchester's most famous drinking clubs for the city's West Indian community and played a key role in the development of black culture in the city. Moss Side is also home to a population with a keen interest in green politics and sustainable living , with initiatives such as
2829-722: The UK Education Business Awards, whilst, in July 2010, Academy pupils were named as national debating finalists at the Debate Mate competition at the House of Lords . In December 2010, it was reported that this 'once failing school' was 'now named as one of [the] UK's best'. The area has five primary schools: Claremont Primary School, Devine Mercy RC Primary School, Holy Name RC Primary School, St Mary's CE Junior and Infant School and Webster Primary School. In July 2014, St Mary's CE Junior and Infant School won
Maine Road - Misplaced Pages Continue
2898-615: The aim of overcoming barriers to education and achievement faced by young people in the community. In April 2009, the Manchester Evening News reported the Academy has met with success in raising educational standards in the area and, by 2010, 81% of pupils achieved A*–C grades at GCSE , compared with 13% at the former Ducie High School. In November 2009, it won the Academy Partnership Award, at
2967-469: The area have fallen by about 90% in recent years. Many of the flats in neighbouring Hulme were demolished in the early 1990s to make way for new low rise homes. Housing on the Alexandra Park Estate in the west of Moss Side has been renovated and the streets redesigned to reduce the fear of crime . The majority of Moss Side is part of the Manchester Central constituency, represented by
3036-444: The area: Moss Side has longstanding Afro-Caribbean and South Asian populations. There has also been a recent increase in residents from other communities, including those from Somalia and Eastern Europe. A number of local community and voluntary groups provide social support, as well as cultural and leisure opportunities to each of these communities. These organisations and institutions include The West Indian Sports and Social Club,
3105-433: The centre spot were thought to be the most desired mementos, but all three had been cut out from the grass before the auction took place. The auction lasted for seven hours and 1,000 supporters attended the auction, with interest from clubs such as Preston North End and Norwich City for the bigger lots which could be reused. Towards the end of Maine Road's lifespan there were proposals for other sports teams to make use of
3174-524: The club's most vociferous fans congregated. In 1963, benches were installed at the Platt Lane end, meaning that Maine Road had more seats than any other English club ground at the time. The next major redevelopment came in the 1970s, with the construction of the North Stand, a cantilevered stand which remained in place until the ground's closure. The 1980s saw ambitious plans for improvements: however, these plans were shelved due to financial pressures after
3243-477: The district for their brightness, purity and flavour". The brewery was later acquired by Walker and Homfrays and merged into Wilsons in 1949. The brewery again merged with Websters brewery in 1985, was sold to Courage in 1990, before takeover by Heineken in 2008. Prior to its expansion, part of the site of the Royal Brewery, where Moss Lane East meets Princess Road, was occupied by a library, fire station and police station. Hydes Brewery on Moss Lane West
3312-449: 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. This renovation was the first of many, as Maine Road's layout and capacity was varied throughout its lifespan. In 1934, the highest attendance for an English football club playing at their own stadium was recorded at Maine Road, when 84,569 fans watched Manchester City play Stoke City in
3381-650: The market in Manchester city centre – the ' Cheetham Hill Gang ' and ' The Gooch Close Gang ', in Cheetham Hill and Moss Side, respectively. There were several high-profile shootings associated with gangs and drugs in this area during the 1990s and into the 21st century. Aided by the work of Xcalibre, the Greater Manchester Police 's task force, founded in 2004, and the multiagency Integrated Gang Management Unit, gang related shootings in
3450-581: The mid-1990s including improvement of the existing housing and residential environment along with several major housing projects currently in process or nearing completion. There has been considerable renovation of existing housing stock, such as local terrace housing and the Alexandra Park Estate. A large site on Great Western Street has been developed by Moss Care Housing Ltd. to provide a mix of 2, 3 and 4-bedroom properties, with different tenures, some rental and others offered as shared ownership or for sale . The former Manchester City F.C. Maine Road site
3519-557: 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 (116.5 x 78 yards). Maine Road's replacement, the City of Manchester Stadium, has maintained this tradition of having a large pitch. Maine Road hosted two England internationals, the first was a 3–0 defeat of Wales on 13 November 1946 and the second a 9–2 win over Northern Ireland on 16 November 1949, England's first ever World Cup qualifier. In addition,
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#17327915810273588-660: The properties were launched on the market on 26 February 2011. On 9 May, sales demand was reported as strong, with 60% of the properties having been sold. On 11 May the development was awarded the UK's Best Affordable Housing Scheme at the national Housing Excellence Awards 2011 Land adjacent to the development, formerly occupied by Bilsborrow primary school and the Stagecoach bus depot , both demolished as part of regeneration, remains vacant with no clear future use at present, though local community groups have short term plans to use
3657-433: The site of the former bus depot is currently being turned into an apple orchard. With the aim of changing perceptions of the area, a group of local residents acting as 'community ambassadors' was also formed in January 2012. The Millennium Powerhouse youth service caters for 8- to 25-year-olds and includes a music studio, fitness studio, dance studio, sports hall and offers information and advice to young people, including
3726-533: The sixth round of the FA Cup on 3 March 1934. (A larger crowd of 121,919 attended the Crystal Palace ground when it hosted the 1913 FA Cup Final between Aston Villa and Sunderland.) Queues formed four hours before the match, and one journalist stated that Maine Road was packed two hours before kick-off. A decision was taken to close the turnstiles with an attendance at approximately 85,000, 3000 short of what
3795-541: The space for a gardening/food growing project. The impact of regeneration and redevelopment in changing perceptions of the area was demonstrated in The Guardian Saturday magazine, dated 8 September 2012, when Moss Side appeared in the long running Let's Move To series. Moss Side has a long history of brewing, dating from the 19th century. The Royal Brewery has had several owners, previously brewing brands such as Kestrel, McEwan's and Harp Lager and
3864-511: The stadium following City's relocation; Stockport County once expressed interest in moving there from Edgeley Park , and in December 2000 Sale Sharks rugby union club was offered a lease for the stadium. However, none of the proposals came to fruition and some past City players stated their dismay at the stadium not being renovated for a mixed-use sports stadium. Demolition began in late 2003, lasting around 10 months. Two years later approval
3933-463: The stadium were installed in 1953 and further development took place in 1957. This was prompted by the hosting of two FA Cup semi-finals in successive years, the side facing the Main Stand (which until that time was generally known as the Popular Side) was redeveloped and named The Kippax after a nearby street. Over the course of the 1960s and 1970s, the Kippax became the part of the ground where
4002-553: The stadium's capacity to 45,000, but these were put on hold following City's relegation from the Premier League in 1996. There were plans for further expansion at Maine Road to take the capacity to an all-seated 45,000, but these were abandoned in favour of a move to the City of Manchester Stadium built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games . The final competitive match before the closure of the stadium took place on 11 May 2003 with
4071-487: The time of its closure in 2003, Maine Road was an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 35,150 and of haphazard design with stands of varying heights due to the ground being renovated several times over its 80-year history. The following season Manchester City moved to the City of Manchester Stadium in east Manchester, a mile from the city centre and near Ardwick , where the club originally formed in 1880. Plans to build Maine Road were first announced in May 1922, following
4140-434: The turn of the 20th century, were refurbished instead of demolished during the final two decades of the century. In 1981, the Moss Side area was one of England's inner city areas affected by a series of riots . Analysts trace the 1970s origins of Manchester's gang crime to social deprivation in the south-central part of the city – Hulme , Longsight and Moss Side – where the activity of the underground economy encouraged
4209-535: Was 151 but by 1901 he parish population had increased to 26,677. The industrial growth of the area resulted in a densely populated area, so much so, that a part of the township of Moss Side was amalgamated into the expanding city of Manchester in 1885, with the rest joining in 1904. Mass development in Moss Side occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when large numbers of red brick terraced houses were built, and soon attracted numerous Irish immigrants and other working people. Manchester City F.C. moved to
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#17327915810274278-401: Was a rural township and chapelry within the parish of Manchester and hundred of Salford . Thought to be named after a great moss which stretched from Rusholme to Chorlton-cum-Hardy , the earliest mention of the area is in 1533 when it contained part of the estates of Trafford . Moss Side is described in the opening chapter of Elizabeth Gaskell 's Mary Barton as a rural idyll with
4347-579: Was built in 1861, established by the Graetorix Brothers and originally known as the Queen's Brewery. It was sold to Hydes in 1898 and became known as Hydes Anvil Brewery. Beer was brewed at the site until 2012, when Hydes moved production to a new building in Salford . The brewery building itself is grade II listed and is awaiting redevelopment. Established in 2010, the Moss Cider Project
4416-537: Was built in 1887–88 (architect John Lowe): of red brick in the Perpendicular revival style. This has now been replaced by a modern brick building which also contains offices used by local community groups. Christ Church , Lloyd Street North, is an Anglican church of 1899–1904 by W. Cecil Hardisty and is a Grade II* listed building as of 24 April 1987. Several evangelical churches congregate in Moss Side, including Revelation Church Manchester, which meets in
4485-453: Was deemed too short by the club, so it was decided that City would move to Moss Side . The move to a larger stadium at Maine Road was backed by then manager Ernest Mangnall . Many were disappointed when a site in south Manchester was chosen. A City director, John Ayrton, resigned from the board later in the decade and helped to form a breakaway club, Manchester Central , which played at Belle Vue. A 16.25 acre former brickworks on Maine Road
4554-555: Was given for a new housing development to be built on the site, consisting of 474 homes. There is a public art display commemorating the stadium and features a circular plate half open, symbolising the centre spot and the new emerging development which now sits on the Maine Road stadium. 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
4623-559: Was purchased for £5,500. The road was originally known as Dog Kennel Lane but renamed Maine Road (after the Maine law ) during the 1870s at the insistence of the Temperance movement which owned land on Dog Kennel Lane and the local authority accepted its request. During construction, the stadium was reputedly cursed by a Gypsy when officials evicted a Gypsy camp from the area. This curse was allegedly removed on 28 December 1998. However,
4692-442: Was that of Mancunian band Oasis (themselves avowed Manchester City fans) in April 1996, a performance which was later released as a video, ...There and Then . In June 1961, the American Christian evangelist Billy Graham attracted over 100,000 people to the stadium, over the course of four nights, as part of his UK tour. Maine Road also gives its name to a non-league football club, Maine Road FC . The club, who currently play in
4761-424: Was thought to be the maximum capacity. Supporters witnessed a visiting Stoke team which included Stanley Matthews and City's team boasted players Frank Swift , Fred Tilson , Sam Cowan and Matt Busby . The match was won 1–0 by Manchester City. This is the record home attendance for a domestic match and the record home attendance at a club ground, as the 1913 FA Cup final was played at a neutral venue. Changes at
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