Attendances

[Gary James]

MAINE ROAD PROGRESSIVE CAPACITY
· 1923 – 84,000
· 1931 – 86,000
· 1935 – 88,000
· 1946 – 84,000
· 1953 – 76,500
· 1957 – 77,000
· 1963 – 64,000
· 1972 – 54,500
· 1973 – 52,600
· 1989 – 48,500
· 1992 – 39,359
· 1994 – 19,150*
· 1995 – 31,458
· 1997 – 32,147
· 1999 – 34,026
· 2000 – 34,421
· 2002 – 35,150

So when 84,569 attended the QF against Stoke, we were still 3,000 short of capacity??

I bet the Rags of the day had a field day.

1,431 below;-) It was March 1934. Only point to add though is that capacities back then were not as precise as they ought to have been (hence the problems with injuries etc.). I based a lot of my research on the planning applications for that period, as well as the newspapers of the day, and City increased capacity with a corner stand in 1931 (the raised corner between the Main Stand and Platt Lane - this had initially been exactly the same style as the other corners, but after only 8 years was extended to provide more capacity and also a few extra seats) and then again with the full Platt Lane extension in 1935 (the wooden bench terracing at the very back of the stand if anyone can remember - they put seats on the Platt Lane in the early 60s, but when it was extended in 1935 they extended with wooden terracing!). Those plans talked about potential capacity and then in later 1930s I have a capacity of 88,000 in a published book from the period.

Utd having a field day - not a chance. They were getting average crowds of about 11,000 in the early 30s and some home crowds were a little over 3000. At one point Utd were the worst supported team in the First Division - a fate that City have never endured.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

I believe 60% of the rags' matchday income comes from the 8,000 corporate & hospitality seats they have. That's why the expansion is so important to us. It's not about just adding extra capacity but about reconfiguring the ground for a greater number of premium seats.

It will be interesting to see if there is unfulfilled demand for corporate seats in the Manchester area or if we get companies switching
from the swamp to The Etihad next season. The club said that surveys had shown a lot of demand for the cheaper corporate option
(the £1,250 seats). Hopefully some of that will have come from the rags' current clients. TICK TOCK.

Fair points Wilf. That said, the Club survey results would have indicated that the family stand would be overflowing by now!

 

[Gary James]

The first picture is a great one of the crossover between the old and new North Stand. Never seen that before.
.

It's in Gary James excellent book "Farewell to Maine Road" - if you don't own it, buy it!! ;)

Can't find it on sale anywhere, any ideas where might have it?[/quote]

It's out of print so you'll need to find second hand copies or borrow it from the library. All libraries have a facility where you can order it in. Cheers

 

[Questy]

The first picture is a great one of the crossover between the old and new North Stand. Never seen that before.
.

It's in Gary James excellent book "Farewell to Maine Road" - if you don't own it, buy it!! ;)

Can't find it on sale anywhere, any ideas where might have it?

It's out of print so you'll need to find second hand copies or borrow it from the library. All libraries have a facility where you can order it in. Cheers[/quote]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Farewell-To-Maine-Road-Manchester/dp/1899538194

 

[mrtwiceaseason]

MAINE ROAD PROGRESSIVE CAPACITY
· 1923 – 84,000
· 1931 – 86,000
· 1935 – 88,000
· 1946 – 84,000
· 1953 – 76,500
· 1957 – 77,000
· 1963 – 64,000
· 1972 – 54,500
· 1973 – 52,600
· 1989 – 48,500
· 1992 – 39,359
· 1994 – 19,150*
· 1995 – 31,458
· 1997 – 32,147
· 1999 – 34,026
· 2000 – 34,421
· 2002 – 35,150

So when 84,569 attended the QF against Stoke, we were still 3,000 short of capacity??

I bet the Rags of the day had a field day.

1,431 below;-) It was March 1934. Only point to add though is that capacities back then were not as precise as they ought to have been (hence the problems with injuries etc.). I based a lot of my research on the planning applications for that period, as well as the newspapers of the day, and City increased capacity with a corner stand in 1931 (the raised corner between the Main Stand and Platt Lane - this had initially been exactly the same style as the other corners, but after only 8 years was extended to provide more capacity and also a few extra seats) and then again with the full Platt Lane extension in 1935 (the wooden bench terracing at the very back of the stand if anyone can remember - they put seats on the Platt Lane in the early 60s, but when it was extended in 1935 they extended with wooden terracing!). Those plans talked about potential capacity and then in later 1930s I have a capacity of 88,000 in a published book from the period.

Utd having a field day - not a chance. They were getting average crowds of about 11,000 in the early 30s and some home crowds were a little over 3000. At one point Utd were the worst supported team in the First Division - a fate that City have never endured.

My first season ticket was in the corner of platt lane where it joined the main stand and as I remember was only every a wooden bench with a number on from probably from 1975/1983 ish .they also used to put the away fans in with us there.aggro all round and my nan offering them Irish coffies to calm it down !

 

[bluereid]

The first season ticket I bought was also in Platt Lane. 1967/68. The year we won the league for the first time in 31 years. You could sit anywhere you wanted, on wooden benches. It cost me the princely sum of £6.50. Needless to say the price went up to £7.50 for the 68/69 season, it seemed a lot of money at the time when I was only earning £15 a week but pro rata to today it certainly was a bargain.

Incidently we used to sit in the same place every week, there were two rags sat near us most of the time who were also season ticket holders who used to come to watch us because they loved the style of football we played. Loved that

 

[cleavers]

Its not that, they are just waiting for the sheik to say to say go for it - its linked to what's happening on the collar site - so as soon as that is signed off the power capacity issues for the area in general can be addressed and work will progress.

The huge crane was built by LOR especially for this project and will be used on the North Stand. It will happen 100% just a question of when - as will the East and West eventually - my guess would be 2017-18 completed up to 62,000. I would hope we will see our East and West stands done early in the 2020s to take us above the scaffold swamp. City were seriously looking at 100k+ capacity stadium on the Collar site. They had no issue over worries about filling it.

Going to be a very different that area in ten years. Exciting times.

This post made me feel all warm and fuzzy. Very exciting.

It's inevitable the north stand will be done soonish even if there are no published 'current plans'. The stadium would look ridiculous otherwise - and even if there were any worries about filling it every week, which I dont think there would be by then, it will be full for many games. Worsley talks sense and I always remember a determined statement on takeover that the intention was to be the biggest club in the world, in every way.

Just thought I'd highlight this for any visiting rags or dippers, who still harbour the thought that the "oil might run out", or "the owner might get bored" :)

Enjoy your evening.

 

[Bluep*ss]

I have always been interested in attendances. Interest probably came from football annuals in the 1950's.
Obviously the 199,892 at the Maracana , 135,000 at Hampden Park, 102,00 at Odsal Stadium for a Rugby League game. Our famous 84,569.
So if Gary James is reading this(and I cannot find it in your book - Manchester the greatest CITY). When was the derby at Maine Road abandoned at half time because of a thunderstorm.I was there and I would guess 1960-1. Again , my memory was that the score at half time was 2-2 - and my question is-
was the attendance 71,654.?.
Thanks

 

[xgorton]

I have always been interested in attendances. Interest probably came from football annuals in the 1950's.
Obviously the 199,892 at the Maracana , 135,000 at Hampden Park, 102,00 at Odsal Stadium for a Rugby League game. Our famous 84,569.
So if Gary James is reading this(and I cannot find it in your book - Manchester the greatest CITY). When was the derby at Maine Road abandoned at half time because of a thunderstorm.I was there and I would guess 1960-1. Again , my memory was that the score at half time was 2-2 - and my question is-
was the attendance 71,654.?.
Thanks

The home derby in 62/63 was abandoned and replayed in May,it was our last home game of the season.It finished 1-1 Harley scored for City.We then went to West Ham got beat 6-1 and got relegated.

 

[Gary James]

I have always been interested in attendances. Interest probably came from football annuals in the 1950's.
Obviously the 199,892 at the Maracana , 135,000 at Hampden Park, 102,00 at Odsal Stadium for a Rugby League game. Our famous 84,569.
So if Gary James is reading this(and I cannot find it in your book - Manchester the greatest CITY). When was the derby at Maine Road abandoned at half time because of a thunderstorm.I was there and I would guess 1960-1. Again , my memory was that the score at half time was 2-2 - and my question is-
was the attendance 71,654.?.
Thanks

The home derby in 62/63 was abandoned and replayed in May,it was our last home game of the season.It finished 1-1 Harley scored for City.We then went to West Ham got beat 6-1 and got relegated.

Yes, it's one of two derbies abandoned, but wasn't 62-63. The other abandoned derby result was allowed to stand in 1974. There's a photo from the first derby abandoned in my book The Pride Of Manchester. Joe Hayes, who shares with Lee our 'most goals in the derby' record scored in the abandoned game but obviously that doesn't count in official records.

The abandoned derby was 27 August 1960 and was abandoned at 2-2 due to waterlogged pitch. As well as Hayes the scorers were Law (City), viollet and Dawson. The attendance was 51,927 (not 71,654 - sorry!).

The replayed game was 4/3/61 City 1 Utd 3.

The 1962-63 game wasn't abandoned but would've been postponed due to the big freeze of that year.