Maine Road
| The Wembley of the North | |
Aerial view of Maine Road on 11 May 2003,
the day of the final match |
|
| Location | Moss Side, Manchester |
|---|---|
| Owner | Manchester City F.C. |
| Capacity | 35,150 (at closing) 84,569 (maximum) |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1923 |
| Opened | 1923 |
| Renovated | 1931, 1957, 1970, 1994 |
| Expanded | 1935 |
| Closed | 2003 |
| Demolished | 2004 |
| Construction cost | £100,000 |
| Architect | Charles Swain |
| Structural engineer | Sir Robert McAlpine |
| Tenants | |
|
Manchester City (1923–2003) Manchester United (1945–1949) Events 18 FA Cup semi-finals 1 Football League Cup Final 4 Charity Shield matches 11 Rugby League Championship finals |
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Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England, that was home to Manchester City F.C. from 1923 to 2003. It hosted FA Cup semi-finals, Charity Shield matches, a League Cup final and England matches and, because of its high capacity, gained the nickname Wembley of the North. Maine Road holds the record for the second highest home attendance in English football, set in 1934 at an FA Cup Sixth Round match between Manchester City and Stoke City after Tottenham Hotspur exceeded it with an 85,011 attendance vs Monaco in the Champions League Group Stage in 2016.
By Manchester City's last season at Maine Road in 2002–03, it 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 a decision by Manchester City F.C. 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, 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 m2) and an available lease of 50 years 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.
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