Maine Road or Etihad

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Bit disrespectful to the people of Moss Side that! Too good for it are you ?

Maine Road will always be in the hearts of many blues and Moss Side is where a lot of us lived ..... wasn’t grim to many of us because it’s all we knew. The people were salt of the earth too in the main .

Love some of the posts on here. Brings back those emotions from way back .

The Etihad has never ever made me feel as alive as The Kippax on big night games .... although the success in the last 10 years cannot be matched I admit and moments like winning the league etc I’d have loved to have been standing on the old Kippax with thousands of lads my age going fucking mental.

That feeling stood in seats just isn’t the same. Sorry

Sorry if it came over like that.
No, I never lived in Moss Side. I grew up in ‘snooty’ Hazel Grove ;-) Then, later on, around Heaviley and Heaton Moor.
I did work in Longsight as a gardener for Manchester Corporation, for a while.
I will say one thing, though. For one reason or another, I often used to go to matches on my own in the early years. Then, when I got a girlfriend, we went together. I/we never felt in any way threatened around the ground, or in Moss Side generally. Never, not once. Oh, except when I had a bit of a run-in with a couple of United supporters, which I wouldn't want to make too much of. It was more of a stand-off really. I couldn't believe that they were giving it the big one on our turf (it wasn't a derby match, either).

 

[Didsbury Dave]

The Charlton pic is unbelievable, the Kippax was overcrowded that day make no mistake about it. Fuck knows why more didn't go in the corner bit between Platt Lane, quite a lot of room there?

I can tell you why because I did. It wasn't open, at least at first. Charlton fans were in the top pen and the police must have assumed they didn't need the corner pen. It got so crushed as the game went on that lots of us were climbing over into that section which slowly filled as an overspill as the game went on.

 

[KS55]

Maine Rd just for the tallness of the floodlights.

 

[its a Barm]

Who remembers the social club at maine Road what a place that was went to a few good do there as well as having many a pre match drink I remember being very young about 16 and taking the future mrs barm and Helen talking to her and giving her opinions on how to treat and look after a man she was a great lady, always packed, don't think we will see anything like that again, as others have said we where lucky for pre match beers plenty of choice, used parkside the most.

 

[mancityvstoke]

Maine Rd just for the tallness of the floodlights.

massive they were ;)

 

[mancityvstoke]

Who remembers the social club at maine Road what a place that was went to a few good do there as well as having many a pre match drink I remember being very young about 16 and taking the future mrs barm and Helen talking to her and giving her opinions on how to treat and look after a man she was a great lady, always packed, don't think we will see anything like that again, as others have said we where lucky for pre match beers plenty of choice, used parkside the most.

Some of the acts on were truly shyte.

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

Maine Road.

That smell of Bovril, piss, and meat & potato pies as you walked through the Kippax turnstiles........

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Such a shame really. The Etihad suround is a blank canvas which we could create the most special experience pre and post match. The modern world is awash with pop up bars and restaurants that very much lend themselves to match day usage and soon music venue too.

if the emphasis was just a little bit less monetary and more special we could whip up the atmosphere whilst still making money and easing congestion. I hope they get this right in the years to come.

We should have a huge section for tailgate parties like in NFL.

BYO and share the BBQ!!

 

[bluedan]

In hindsight, its a shame we didnt remain at Maine Road until Mansour took over. Redevelop Maine Road into a new super stadium. A bit like how Spurs transformed theirs. Also have the Campus where Platt Lane is.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

A lot of these posts are, inevitably, about what it was to be young and a City fan. I understand them, I identify with them. But strictly speaking, the Etihad is a proper, modern stadium with facilities befitting our era. Maine Road was, honestly, pretty grim (like most of Moss Side). We made it what it was. Oh, and the players, of course. And Big Mal. And Sir Joe…

Moss Side was never grim mate, certainly the people who called it home.

When people ask where I am from, I still always state Moss Side, even though we moved to nearby Fallowfield when I was 14.

Long left those places but imagine a community where the corner shop used to give my folks 'tick', you could play football on the croft at Maine Road until my mam shouted 'get in' and every entry and derelict house was just another great playground for the kids.

My kids are fortunate they will never have to experience true hardship, but I regret they will also never get to experience that sense of community and backbone a place like that instills in you.

You don't give a shit your knees have been worn out of your pants or you shared your Christmas presents with your mates to play with.

I was born a Blue but Moss Side made me the person I am.

Keep moving forward, even when life is in the shitter.