Tag Archives: Main Stand

Swales Out 1983

As part if my Maine Rd 100 countdown in 2023 I posted this image of Manchester City fans demonstrating against chairman Peter Swales and his supporting board of directors. It’s always worth remembering those days as a reminder of how things change.

Of course fans still demonstrate and make their feelings known over various issues (as is their right) but these days it tends to be over specific issues. Back then it was about the direction of the full club. This image was from 1983 but protests against Swales and the board began in 1979 and continued until 1993-94. Here’s a photo of John Bond stood in front of the Main Entrance in 1983. The ‘cage’ protecting the entrance would often get locked to prevent fans forcing their way in during demonstrations.

John Bond, 1983

Here’s a 1995 image of Maine Road showing the forecourt in front of the Main Stand where most demonstrations occurred:

The 1940s: MCFC Backs Down

Here’s an interesting cutting from July 1948. Manchester City had upset a few fans by deciding that only some seats in the ground would be numbered. Why appears to be lost (though I’m still searching for a definitive story on this) but it appears that fans were concerned that only the more expensive seats would be numbered. This suggests that all other seating was going to be unreserved. Fans were not happy and, as this article shows, the club backed down under pressure from supporters. This was the main news on the day players returned for training it seems.

Main Stand after war blacked out.

You can read about the following 1948-49 season below.. This article can be read by subscribing.

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The 1980s: 1982-1983 Selling Francis

A new daily series of articles for subscribers started a few days ago covering the 1980s. This is a seasonal journey through a truly important decade in the history of Manchester City Football Club. Today’s article is a 3,500 word feature on the 1982-83 season. Enjoy (well, if you know the outcome of this season you can enjoy this memory refresh while reflecting on the modern day successes of the Blues!).

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Tomorrow’s feature is on the 1983-84 season. If you missed the earlier features then start here:

The 1980s: 1980-1981 Gow, Hutchison & McDonald

The 1980s: 1981-1982 Plans For A Change

A new daily series of articles for subscribers started yesterday covering the 1980s. This is a seasonal journey through a truly important decade in the history of Manchester City Football Club. Today’s article is a 2,500 word feature on the 1981-82 season. Enjoy!

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Tomorrow’s feature is on the 1982-83 season. If you missed the earlier features then start here:

The 1980s: 1980-1981 Gow, Hutchison & McDonald

Manchester City Main Stand Burns Down

Only a few months after the King had visited Manchester City suffered a major blow when their Main Stand was destroyed by fire (6 November) 1920. Subscribers can read the story of this below (including the story of how City asked United if they could use Old Trafford temporarily which resulted in significant criticism of the Reds in national newspapers) but here’s a rare image that hasn’t been published in any Manchester City publication over the last century or so. It did appear in a contemporary newspaper. Notice the Ellison’s Rush Preventive turnstile that seems to have just about survived.

When City moved to Maine Road quite a few of these turnstiles were taken from Hyde Road and re-erected at Maine Road. In 2003 6 Ellisons turnstiles from the 1890s were still in place and in use during Maine Road’s final season.

In the years that followed the Hyde Rd fire there was a story that developed that the fire was the result of a Irish republican terrorist attack and that both Hyde Rd and Old Trafford were targets. The Old Trafford planned attack was foiled and has been written about in contemporary sources but Hyde Rd’s story cam much later. It doesn’t seem to be the case that the Hyde Rd fire was the result of terrorist activity – if there’s interest then maybe I’ll write the latest research on this in the coming months?

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Maine Road 100 – Day 89

It’s day 89 of my posts counting down to the centenary of Maine Road’s opening game. Today – Pitch invasions! There were lots of celebratory (and some not so celebratory!) pitch invasions at Maine Road over the years. The League title in 1937 saw one, as did promotion games and other matches, such as the 1970 ECWC semi-final victory over Schalke.

The photographs on this post are all from City’s promotion match with Birmingham in 2000 and were taken by me from the Platt Lane Stand.

Promotion pitch invasion v Birmingham 2000
Promotion pitch invasion v Birmingham 2000
Promotion pitch invasion v Birmingham 2000, looking towards the players in the Main Stand

If you’d like to read more on the history of Maine Road, take a look at Farewell To Maine Road, which can be downloaded from this page:

Farewell To Maine Road – Part One

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Maine Road 100 – Day 85

Post 85 of my Maine Road 100 countdown is a FA Cup reminder of a day that I know I loved as a kid. It was the day (24 January) in 1981 when John Bond’s Manchester City defeated his former club Norwich 6-0 in the FA Cup fourth round tie. I was sat in that uncovered bit between the Main Stand and the North Stand (it was cheaper but if it rained it was somewhat unpleasant, especially when the rain blew off the Main Stand roof on to us!).

This 1971 image shows the area I was sat in (number 2) that day:

Maine Road aerial 1971 from Farewell To Maine Road

Subscribers can read a report and watch highlights of the game here:

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Maine Road 100 – Day 79

Post 79 of my Maine Rd 100 countdown is this image of fans demonstrating against chairman Peter Swales and his supporting board of directors.

Those were the days! This image was from 1983 but protests began in 1979 and continued until 1993-94. Here’s a photo of John Bond stood in front of the Main Entrance in 1983. The ‘cage’ protecting the entrance would often get locked to prevent fans forcing their way in during demonstrations.

John Bond, 1983

Here’s a 1995 image of Maine Road showing the forecourt in front of the Main Stand where most demonstrations occurred:

Maine Road 100 – Day 72

For post 72 in my Maine Road 100 countdown and today I wanted to show this image of the old ground photographed during the summer of 1982 when the Main Stand roof was being replaced. The white barrelled roof was about to be erected but first the old roof, part of which was the original 1923 structure, had to be removed.

This 1971 image shows the roof being removed (number 1) and the new roof would then stretch over the uncovered section (2).

Maine Road aerial 1971 from Farewell To Maine Road

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Maine Road 100 – Day 43

For day 43 of my posts counting down to the centenary of Maine Road’s opening game I’ve posted an unusual image of a screen on the Maine Road pitch. Can you work out what it was for?

This is a photo I took back in May 1999 of the Play Off semi-final away leg at Wigan. It was Springfield Park’s last competitive fixture and demand for tickets was high. I couldn’t get a ticket to be there but, because of the significance of the game, City decided to put a screen up at Maine Road and sell tickets for the Kippax.

Around 10,000 of us attended the game at Maine Road and we booed and cheered as you would if you were actually at the game. At one point Joe Royle appeared on the screen and we all chanted for him to ‘give us a wave’. Of course, Royle was at Springfield Park and couldn’t hear us but that didn’t stop us from booing when he seemingly ignored us! Football humour, hey?

Here’s an aerial photo of Maine Road from 1971. The Main Stand roof is different (as is the Platt Lane Stand and the Kippax Stand) but hopefully this will give an idea of where the screen was for those unfamiliar with Maine Road. It was positioned in front of the players’ tunnel (near 1 on the image) and I was sat in the new Kippax, roughly in between numbers 7 and 8 on this image.

Maine Road aerial 1971 from Farewell To Maine Road

If you’d like to read more on the history of Maine Road, take a look at Farewell To Maine Road, which can be downloaded from this page:

Farewell To Maine Road – Part One

If you enjoy all the free material on my website and would like to support my research and keep this website going (but don’t want to subscribe) then why not make a one-time donation (or buy me a coffee). All support for my research is valued and welcome. It allows me to keep some free material available for all. Thanks.

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£7.50

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