The Main Stand RIP

[tolmie's hairdoo]

I hated the Maine stand. It looked well out dated and cost far too much to sit in and watch a game with a pillar in your way. When I first started going to games with my mates at 16/17 it was £7 to go in the North Stand where you could act all cool with the hard men and singers. That was brilliant but on the odd occasion it was sold out we'd have to sit in J block of the Maine Stand and pay 32 fucking quid to be bored senseless by moaning old bastards sat around me. Now I'm 30 I am the moaning bastard!

FWIW The Mirror journalist was attacked the Saturday after the midweek game v Mansfield in the Auto Windscreen after he published a photo comparing Maine Rd and Old Trafford after we had 3007 fans on a night they were hosting a Champions League game. Happy days!!

That's true. I heard the usual guy who covered our games knew the shit would hit the fan after getting several threatening phone calls to the Mirror sports desk, so the shithouse pulled a sickie and the Mirror sent an unwitting freelancer to cover the game instead, who copped for all the flak.
I think it may have even been a female journo they sent?

No it was a bloke called Lindsay Sutton and the press room door was almost kicked in.

They have a 24-hour round-the-clock **** covering us now called David McDonnell.

Someone who makes jokes about City to Sir Alex Ferguson, just to curry favour in his conferences.

Wankstain.

I was also a H Block left. About ten rows from the front.

Used to play tick-e-it in the Main Stand and always remember the glass bricks for windows as a kid.

You were also able to move into the North Stand through a door inside H Block, at the bottom of the concourse steps.

All the early WAGS used to sit in there as all the freebies were for H Block.<br /><br />-- Wed Jul 25, 2012 1:00 pm --<br /><br />

Spent many of my younger days in the MS.

1st game Vs Derby County circa 77/78, it was 1-1. Remember being on the bus on Lloyd St and still being able to see the game through a gap in the stand.

We were right at the top near the press boxes for the Charlton promotion game. The Kippax was heaving that day.

As part of my media degree I did an Outside Broadcast from the MS. We played Sheff Wed, 2-0 down at HT, won 3-2. It was around 1994/5. I had to fight my way to the press room. There was plenty of weed going on. I see some of the shite they've wrote about us since and they'd never walk of there alive.

Maybe that's why Everton, Pompey get such a good press. Shit scared of the natives.

The press box didn't move to the back of the Main Stand until the mid to late 90s, accessed through the fabled 'blue room'.

The press box used to be right alongside the directors' box, slap bang in the middle.

Not sure what you might have been stood next to for the Charlton game.

 

[noely]

At the end, no other part of Maine Road had anything like the history or significance of the Main Stand. I stood and sat in all parts of the ground but for the last ten years or so had a season ticket in block H. First H Right, then H Left.

The Main Stand felt like the heart and soul of our club. It was a link with our past, glorious and not so glorious, and I absolutely loved the place. It wasn't the best stand in the world, having pillars and a fairly flat camber. But it more than made up for it in character. It housed the club's inner workings, the dressing rooms, the chairman's office, the manager's den, the boardroom. All those historic events which went on in it's bowels: the board meetings, the backstabbing, the transfers, the sackings, the cataclysmic decisions.

In the various concourses it was a warren. It had scruffy little bars with old signs painted in the blue and claret colours of the early 70s. It had odd little rooms for the ball boys, the tea ladies, the press. It was dark and dank in the concourse and felt like you were inside City's wayward, unfaithful heart. There were even a set of stairs which led to nowhere, like in a haunted house.

In the stand, you had the directors within earshot - and boy, they must have regretted that at times. Remember Swales sinking into his seat as Franny marched in to a hero's welcome? The press and commentators sat behind you in odd little blue boxes at the back. The manager sat in front of you. Some of the longest serving, and bitterest of all fans sat in the Main Stand. When things were going badly, as they usually were in my time, people shouted in the knowledge that their insults were not falling on deaf ears. "Swales, you've killed this club", "Franny, you let us down!", "Clark, you're the worst manager we;ve ever had" (the guy next to me shouted this half a dozen times a game for his entire tenure). The referee and players could be personally abused as they left the field. One ref was injured by a coin and substituted. lBig Mal broke his leg jumping down the tunneL. The idiot. A Mirror journalist was beseiged by angry fans once in the press box.

I've got some great memories there too - the bar behind H Left rocking in disbelief at half time in the 5-1. Pitch invasions - who took the chair on? Small crowds -sometimes big ones - at winter youth team games.

You felt you were part of the workings of the club in the Main Stand. It symbolised the City of the 80s and 90s, with padded seats on crumbling concrete.

Sorry to be an arse but wasnt that John Bond v Norwich in the Fa cup

great post nonetheless

 

[mac]

always liked the north stand and thought it should have been contined right round the ground to make fully covered

There was a plan in the early 80s to have the ground totally revamped. With the kippax to mirror the main stand,but a bit lower and platt lane to have the same profile as the north stand.i have a picture somewhere.not sure if it was in a programme or a junior blue programme.iremember thinking the ground would look awesome.best memory of the main stand was as the light was fading on a cold day jim Melrose scoring from near the half way line.i use to stand at the top of the stand with my 2 mates and their dad alan.With Alan getting us in free as he was in the CID,if I remember rightly. Rip Alan

 

[Gingers Dad]

At the end, no other part of Maine Road had anything like the history or significance of the Main Stand. I stood and sat in all parts of the ground but for the last ten years or so had a season ticket in block H. First H Right, then H Left.

The Main Stand felt like the heart and soul of our club. It was a link with our past, glorious and not so glorious, and I absolutely loved the place. It wasn't the best stand in the world, having pillars and a fairly flat camber. But it more than made up for it in character. It housed the club's inner workings, the dressing rooms, the chairman's office, the manager's den, the boardroom. All those historic events which went on in it's bowels: the board meetings, the backstabbing, the transfers, the sackings, the cataclysmic decisions.

In the various concourses it was a warren. It had scruffy little bars with old signs painted in the blue and claret colours of the early 70s. It had odd little rooms for the ball boys, the tea ladies, the press. It was dark and dank in the concourse and felt like you were inside City's wayward, unfaithful heart. There were even a set of stairs which led to nowhere, like in a haunted house.

In the stand, you had the directors within earshot - and boy, they must have regretted that at times. Remember Swales sinking into his seat as Franny marched in to a hero's welcome? The press and commentators sat behind you in odd little blue boxes at the back. The manager sat in front of you. Some of the longest serving, and bitterest of all fans sat in the Main Stand. When things were going badly, as they usually were in my time, people shouted in the knowledge that their insults were not falling on deaf ears. "Swales, you've killed this club", "Franny, you let us down!", "Clark, you're the worst manager we;ve ever had" (the guy next to me shouted this half a dozen times a game for his entire tenure). The referee and players could be personally abused as they left the field. One ref was injured by a coin and substituted. Big Mal broke his leg jumping down the tunnel. The idiot. A Mirror journalist was beseiged by angry fans once in the press box.

I've got some great memories there too - the bar behind H Left rocking in disbelief at half time in the 5-1. Pitch invasions - who took the chair on? Small crowds -sometimes big ones - at winter youth team games.

You felt you were part of the workings of the club in the Main Stand. It symbolised the City of the 80s and 90s, with padded seats on crumbling concrete.

Hated the Main Stand with a passion. The stand was full of the most boring, miserable fans that ever go to football matches.

 

[Barcon]

Sat in the Maine stand once when I lived in Manc. (Colin Bells return match). Season ticket holder in the Kippax and north stand and spent a lot of time in Platt lane. I sat in the Maine stand one time after I had moved to Canada, I looked across at the empty Kippax, all torn apart, gut wrenching. Never did sit in the Kippax. I did sit up in the floodlights in the corner where the Kippax met the North stand afair bit though.

 

[mancdaz]

Great read, memorys come flooding back.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

always liked the north stand and thought it should have been contined right round the ground to make fully covered

There was a plan in the early 80s to have the ground totally revamped. With the kippax to mirror the main stand,but a bit lower and platt lane to have the same profile as the north stand.i have a picture somewhere.not sure if it was in a programme or a junior blue programme.iremember thinking the ground would look awesome.best memory of the main stand was as the light was fading on a cold day jim Melrose scoring from near the half way line.i use to stand at the top of the stand with my 2 mates and their dad alan.With Alan getting us in free as he was in the CID,if I remember rightly. Rip Alan

I remember the picture and getting excited when it was in the programme. As if Swales and the rest of the circus ever had it them to pull off a project like that.

I'm pretty sure it's in Gary james's fantastic 'farewell to maine road'

 

[levets]

always liked the north stand and thought it should have been contined right round the ground to make fully covered

There was a plan in the early 80s to have the ground totally revamped. With the kippax to mirror the main stand,but a bit lower and platt lane to have the same profile as the north stand.i have a picture somewhere.not sure if it was in a programme or a junior blue programme.iremember thinking the ground would look awesome.best memory of the main stand was as the light was fading on a cold day jim Melrose scoring from near the half way line.i use to stand at the top of the stand with my 2 mates and their dad alan.With Alan getting us in free as he was in the CID,if I remember rightly. Rip Alan

I remember the picture and getting excited when it was in the programme. As if Swales and the rest of the circus ever had it them to pull off a project like that.

I'm pretty sure it's in Gary james's fantastic 'farewell to maine road'

When I was (the 1st) chairman of the ISA, I was given some 'plans' for the redevelopment of Maine Road, (proper drawn up architects plans). It showed double tier, matching stands throughout. (a Bit Like Ibrox I thought). Of course it never happened! I'd like to get my hands on those plans now... I cant remember what I did with them?

Did anybody else see these? Or did I let 'you' borrow them and never got them back?

 

[crossie]

There was a plan in the early 80s to have the ground totally revamped. With the kippax to mirror the main stand,but a bit lower and platt lane to have the same profile as the north stand.i have a picture somewhere.not sure if it was in a programme or a junior blue programme.iremember thinking the ground would look awesome.best memory of the main stand was as the light was fading on a cold day jim Melrose scoring from near the half way line.i use to stand at the top of the stand with my 2 mates and their dad alan.With Alan getting us in free as he was in the CID,if I remember rightly. Rip Alan

I remember the picture and getting excited when it was in the programme. As if Swales and the rest of the circus ever had it them to pull off a project like that.

I'm pretty sure it's in Gary james's fantastic 'farewell to maine road'

When I was (the 1st) chairman of the ISA, I was given some 'plans' for the redevelopment of Maine Road, (proper drawn up architects plans). It showed double tier, matching stands throughout. (a Bit Like Ibrox I thought). Of course it never happened! I'd like to get my hands on those plans now... I cant remember what I did with them?

Did anybody else see these? Or did I let 'you' borrow them and never got them back?

I remember a match program with a pull out of an artists impression of the stadium fully developed. It looked like the new Kippax but over all 4 sides with the corners filled in.

I got Uwe Rosler, who was injured and sat in the main stand, to sign it for me.

No idea where it is now.

 

[Gary James]

I remember the picture and getting excited when it was in the programme. As if Swales and the rest of the circus ever had it them to pull off a project like that.

I'm pretty sure it's in Gary james's fantastic 'farewell to maine road'

When I was (the 1st) chairman of the ISA, I was given some 'plans' for the redevelopment of Maine Road, (proper drawn up architects plans). It showed double tier, matching stands throughout. (a Bit Like Ibrox I thought). Of course it never happened! I'd like to get my hands on those plans now... I cant remember what I did with them?

Did anybody else see these? Or did I let 'you' borrow them and never got them back?

I remember a match program with a pull out of an artists impression of the stadium fully developed. It looked like the new Kippax but over all 4 sides with the corners filled in.

I got Uwe Rosler, who was injured and sat in the main stand, to sign it for me.

No idea where it is now.

Both sets of plans/revamps are correct. There was both a 1982 plan for the full redevelopment which would see the Kippax and Main Stand have matching white barrelled roofs and the Platt Lane match the North Stand - only the Main Stand roof was done - and a plan to have a 'new' Kippax style entire ground planned in 1994. The 1st plan died because of money and the second because of the new stadium plans.

Both stories and plans were covered in detail in "Farewell To Maine Road"