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The Main Stand RIP
- Thread starter Didsbury Dave
- Start date
Didsbury Dave
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Lavinda Past said:Great post DD - I was a Kippax regular for donkey's years but sat in the Main Stand for Mike Summerbee's testimonial (liked to think I was giving him a bit of extra cash...). Block H - Magic - A great view, a great laugh every game, and I'm sure that the pies were slightly bigger... I never sat anywhere else at Maine Road after that.
There was one seemingly regular occurrence the dark days, when (usually direct from the kick-off) the ball would go out for an opposition throw-in. Cue groans around the ground.
A guy sitting by the directors box to the left of Peter Swales, would calmly stand up, turn towards the directors, take a deep breath, and start shouting 'Swales out' on his own for about twenty / thirty seconds. Swales would sink lower and lower into his seat; Directors would try to avoid eye contact with anyone.
The guy would then sit down very calmly as if nothing had happened and receive a small but warm round of applause. Everyone then just carried on as normal. I'd love to find out that you were that guy DD!
Just one of the millions of reasons why I love City. I still miss the Main Stand.
No, that wasn't me! I was much more towards the back of the stand, although I did shout Swales Out plenty of times!
The Main Stand were the best booers in the football league. When a boo got going in there, it had real venom and spite. Obviously it happened regularly at half time, but I remember plenty of full time boos where the roof nearly came off. Bury at home and Huddersfield at home stand out in my memory.<br /><br />-- Tue Jul 24, 2012 12:14 pm --<br /><br />
mcfc_ms said:My earliest memories of watching city are from sitting in the main stand in front of the police cctv room building, with one goal blocked by a big concrete post
That was J Block - a wierd little section which joined the Main and North Stands. Occasionally away fans went in there, but I don't think it was repeated after a big kick off against Leeds, I think. Often you could pay cash to get in there. I think it was roofless for a while too, but might be wrong about that.
Skashion
Well-Known Member
From me it's more like good riddance rather than RIP.
riggymcfc123
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- Joined
- 2 Nov 2008
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- 219
Good read that mate
Just one thing though...I'm sure it was John Bond who jumped over the tunel, to console his son Kevin after we knocked Norwich out of the cup in 81?
Just one thing though...I'm sure it was John Bond who jumped over the tunel, to console his son Kevin after we knocked Norwich out of the cup in 81?
Didsbury Dave said:Lavinda Past said:Great post DD - I was a Kippax regular for donkey's years but sat in the Main Stand for Mike Summerbee's testimonial (liked to think I was giving him a bit of extra cash...). Block H - Magic - A great view, a great laugh every game, and I'm sure that the pies were slightly bigger... I never sat anywhere else at Maine Road after that.
There was one seemingly regular occurrence the dark days, when (usually direct from the kick-off) the ball would go out for an opposition throw-in. Cue groans around the ground.
A guy sitting by the directors box to the left of Peter Swales, would calmly stand up, turn towards the directors, take a deep breath, and start shouting 'Swales out' on his own for about twenty / thirty seconds. Swales would sink lower and lower into his seat; Directors would try to avoid eye contact with anyone.
The guy would then sit down very calmly as if nothing had happened and receive a small but warm round of applause. Everyone then just carried on as normal. I'd love to find out that you were that guy DD!
Just one of the millions of reasons why I love City. I still miss the Main Stand.
No, that wasn't me! I was much more towards the back of the stand, although I did shout Swales Out plenty of times!
The Main Stand were the best booers in the football league. When a boo got going in there, it had real venom and spite. Obviously it happened regularly at half time, but I remember plenty of full time boos where the roof nearly came off. Bury at home and Huddersfield at home stand out in my memory.
-- Tue Jul 24, 2012 12:14 pm --
mcfc_ms said:My earliest memories of watching city are from sitting in the main stand in front of the police cctv room building, with one goal blocked by a big concrete post
That was J Block - a wierd little section which joined the Main and North Stands. Occasionally away fans went in there, but I don't think it was repeated after a big kick off against Leeds, I think. Often you could pay cash to get in there. I think it was roofless for a while too, but might be wrong about that.
I think it was roofless for a while too, but might be wrong about that.
=================
NO... you are absolutely correct mate...
lancs blue
Well-Known Member
Didsbury Dave said:mcfc_ms said:My earliest memories of watching city are from sitting in the main stand in front of the police cctv room building, with one goal blocked by a big concrete post
That was J Block - a wierd little section which joined the Main and North Stands. Occasionally away fans went in there, but I don't think it was repeated after a big kick off against Leeds, I think. Often you could pay cash to get in there. I think it was roofless for a while too, but might be wrong about that.
J block was uncovered until the new roof went on the Main Stand in the early 80s. Another of Swales's follies, the executive boxes that were meant to hang from the new roof were never built because of the '83 relegation.
Until about 1970 IIRC the Main stand was the only part of the ground you could get a S/T for, then they introduced them into the Platt Lane and painted the benches in those different coloured blocks.
franksinatra
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- 25 Nov 2008
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- 10,399
As a kid I probably visited every block in the North and Main Stand but was fortunate enough for the crunch promotion game against Bournemouth (1989) to have a seat just to the side of the directors box and Peter Swales.
If any game summed City up it was this one. 3-0 up, only to concede an equaliser 6 mins into injury time. The ground turned from delirium believing we had clinched promotion to utter hatred towards Peter Swales and I as a 13 year old joined in the chorus of Swales Out chants.
Incredibly the Greenalls scoreboard flickered into life as news of Leicester equaliser against Crystal Place, meaning we only required a point at Bradford, with fans running back into the ground celebrating. Typcial day at City...Delirium, frustration, anger and celebration all captured in 90 minutes. My fondest memory of the Main Stand.
If any game summed City up it was this one. 3-0 up, only to concede an equaliser 6 mins into injury time. The ground turned from delirium believing we had clinched promotion to utter hatred towards Peter Swales and I as a 13 year old joined in the chorus of Swales Out chants.
Incredibly the Greenalls scoreboard flickered into life as news of Leicester equaliser against Crystal Place, meaning we only required a point at Bradford, with fans running back into the ground celebrating. Typcial day at City...Delirium, frustration, anger and celebration all captured in 90 minutes. My fondest memory of the Main Stand.
gordondaviesmoustache
Well-Known Member
There's no doubt that it was inhabited with far more professional moaners than any other part of the ground. I spent my early years in there (when my parents considered me too young to go on my own) and subsequent to that when I was older, whenever I persuaded my dad to take me to Maine Road we would almost exclusively end up there.
In fact my first game at Maine Road was sat in the Main Stand, so my love affair with City began in there, under its old roof that mirrored the one on the Kippax.
I was there when we got relegated in '83 and promoted in '85, but other than that most of my big Maine Road games were spent in the Kippax.
The residual memories are the wooden seat to the left hand side (replaced in the mid 90's?), the smell of cheap cigars, and the moaning. The endless fucking moaning.
Oh, and the toilets in there were just as vile as the ones in the Kippax on occasion. Polished stainless steel they weren't.
You are correct about it being the heart and soul of the old ground DD. I think you omitted the fact that the default location for any demo after a game was outside its entrance.
It had personality, that's for sure. Much more so than the North stand and the abortion that was Peter Swales' Platt Lane Stand and was presumably the only part of the ground remaining from 1923 when we ended our days there in 2003.
In fact my first game at Maine Road was sat in the Main Stand, so my love affair with City began in there, under its old roof that mirrored the one on the Kippax.
I was there when we got relegated in '83 and promoted in '85, but other than that most of my big Maine Road games were spent in the Kippax.
The residual memories are the wooden seat to the left hand side (replaced in the mid 90's?), the smell of cheap cigars, and the moaning. The endless fucking moaning.
Oh, and the toilets in there were just as vile as the ones in the Kippax on occasion. Polished stainless steel they weren't.
You are correct about it being the heart and soul of the old ground DD. I think you omitted the fact that the default location for any demo after a game was outside its entrance.
It had personality, that's for sure. Much more so than the North stand and the abortion that was Peter Swales' Platt Lane Stand and was presumably the only part of the ground remaining from 1923 when we ended our days there in 2003.
MaineStandMoaner
Well-Known Member
My first season tickets were the main Stand...had em for three years end of the 70`s. Forget what block it was but about mid way from the half way line and Platt lane stand...3/4 of the way up.
Used to go lean on the tunnel wall every game to watch the players run out..tried to lean over to pat one or two of them as they went past. Remember peering down the tunnel one day before they came out and saw Granada TV`s Elton Wellsby, clad in sheepskin coat, interviewing Gary Owen who wasnt playing that day....older chappie next to me kept shouting "Elton"...."Elton"...."Elton" at the top of his voice trying to get his attention. Elton finally interrupts his interview and turns around to see whats going on....chappie shouts to him..."Yer a wanker" !!!! :-)
happy Main Stand days indeed
Used to go lean on the tunnel wall every game to watch the players run out..tried to lean over to pat one or two of them as they went past. Remember peering down the tunnel one day before they came out and saw Granada TV`s Elton Wellsby, clad in sheepskin coat, interviewing Gary Owen who wasnt playing that day....older chappie next to me kept shouting "Elton"...."Elton"...."Elton" at the top of his voice trying to get his attention. Elton finally interrupts his interview and turns around to see whats going on....chappie shouts to him..."Yer a wanker" !!!! :-)
happy Main Stand days indeed