Questionnaire for City fans on the significance of football stadium names

Fraserja said:
Regarding the questions on page 8, it is just a preference, whether you prefer the old style ground or modern bowl type ground. The same goes for the name, it's a simple question. If you wouldn't mind explaining it in 200 words, I would be happy to listen!
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I love them both and have no preference.
I loved Maine Road because it had history and its where i first watched City with my father and grandfather. Its where I first saw Peter Barnes and Paul Power play (the heroes of my youth). Its where I saw people run on the pitch and kiss players and also where I saw a man pull his pants down and show his arse to Eddie McGoldrick, which my 8 year old sister thought was hilarious. Its where I went with my friends without my parents as a young teenager. Its where I first drank beer. Its what kept me linked to Manchester when I first moved down south. Its where I made friends when I first moved down south, exiled city fans living close to me became my circle of friends.

I love the Etihad (and the name is OK, I could not have stomached a name change at Maine Road). Its where I went with my dad as he became progressively ill and heading towards the end. Its where I saw that QPR game. Its where me and my dad saw us win the league in 2014, his last trip to see the blues, his last trip anywhere for fun (trips to the hospital and doctors dont count).

To sum up, the stadium doesnt really matter, its structure or its name. What matters is the team and the people who watch them. Its the community and the friends we make. Its the link to your loved ones and the memories that the team bring back of those we have lost. Its a link to our city and sense of our own personal history. Its us, the fans and the team, are all that is important in football.
 
aguero93:20 said:
Union or Unity as it's a noun.
United is an adjective. It's Mutthid.
We've gone into some in depth research on this before :)
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i did wonder, but not had time to research it, thanks for pointing it out.

A lot of things about the strength of Manchester as a City were very heartwarming after the Arena attack, but there was something very poetical about the concept of Manchester City United at that time that harked back to something much more fundamental about language and how it is used that goes beyond even the blood, sweat and tears of rivalry.
 
pirate said:
I love them both and have no preference.
I loved Maine Road because it had history and its where i first watched City with my father and grandfather. Its where I first saw Peter Barnes and Paul Power play (the heroes of my youth). Its where I saw people run on the pitch and kiss players and also where I saw a man pull his pants down and show his arse to Eddie McGoldrick, which my 8 year old sister thought was hilarious. Its where I went with my friends without my parents as a young teenager. Its where I first drank beer. Its what kept me linked to Manchester when I first moved down south. Its where I made friends when I first moved down south, exiled city fans living close to me became my circle of friends.

I love the Etihad (and the name is OK, I could not have stomached a name change at Maine Road). Its where I went with my dad as he became progressively ill and heading towards the end. Its where I saw that QPR game. Its where me and my dad saw us win the league in 2014, his last trip to see the blues, his last trip anywhere for fun (trips to the hospital and doctors dont count).

To sum up, the stadium doesnt really matter, its structure or its name. What matters is the team and the people who watch them. Its the community and the friends we make. Its the link to your loved ones and the memories that the team bring back of those we have lost. Its a link to our city and sense of our own personal history. Its us, the fans and the team, are all that is important in football.
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Great comment. I really appreciate the time and effort for this! Thanks.
 
Done still call it eastlands myself, always thought it should have been named forge lane as that's the street that is is build on directly
 
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Fraserja said:
Thanks for the feedback. I'm sorry, I couldn't really go that detailed because I'm having to do this for about 30 odd clubs. But you're saying that your overriding feeling of Maine road is ruined slightly as it has changed over time?
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Yes.

It went from holding 85000 and looking like a fantastic congruent fluid stadium
0089D5B100000258-2958860-Maine_Road_as_it_appeared_from_the_air_when_Manchester_City_took-a-16_1450251861055.jpg


To ending up being a 35000 right old hotch-potch of a stadium
maine_road17.jpg
 
Done Fraser, good luck.

When you mention about the ground being named after the location are you aware of the Chelsea tale (dunno if true or urban myth) where some fans arrived at Heathrow airport and took a taxi to Stamford Bridge, ending up where the battle took place about 5 miles outside York

Edit:
Article below from Guardian, it was Earl Spencer’s daughter and taxi was from Althorp Estate near Northampton.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/uk/2008/apr/04/5
 
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Thing with corporate names is that only the first one sticks - so I still think of Bolton as Reebok, Stoke as Brittania, had our stadium had a first name that stuck then we would still call it that - but as said above Eastlands and City of Manchester didn't really resonate with anyone - so I suspect Etihad will stick even if sponsor changes. For a traditionally named stadium the sponsors have no chance.
 
Perhaps for your PHD you should focus on the long term mental impact of the Gene Kelly stand?

I for one am interested in the direction of your career after your degree, how on earth are you going to pay off those student loans?
 
Carver said:
Done Fraser, good luck.

When you mention about the ground being named after the location are you aware of the Chelsea tale (dunno if true or urban myth) where some fans arrived at Heathrow airport and took a taxi to Stamford Bridge, ending up where the battle took place about 5 miles outside York

Edit:
Article below from Guardian, it was Earl Spencer’s daughter and taxi was from Althorp Estate near Northampton.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/uk/2008/apr/04/5
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Cheers! Haha, hadn't heard of that!
 
Carver said:
Done Fraser, good luck.

When you mention about the ground being named after the location are you aware of the Chelsea tale (dunno if true or urban myth) where some fans arrived at Heathrow airport and took a taxi to Stamford Bridge, ending up where the battle took place about 5 miles outside York

Edit:
Article below from Guardian, it was Earl Spencer’s daughter and taxi was from Althorp Estate near Northampton.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/uk/2008/apr/04/5
Click to expand...

Just went through there while on holiday a month ago, said to the wife we are a long way from London :)
 
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