OLD TRAFFORD.

The Old Trafford located in the Trafford borough of Greater Manchester, England and the home of Manchester United FC.

"The most handsomest, the most spacious and the most remarkable arena I have ever seen. As a football ground it is unrivalled in the world, it is an honour to Manchester and the home of a team who can do wonders when they are so disposed"

Sporting Chronicle: Saturday 19th February 1910

The above words were written on Old Trafford's opening day in 1910. Archibald Leitch is the architect who designed the Old Trafford in 1909. This stadium has the ability of seating 76,212 and is the only UEFA five-star rated facility in England.

The original plan Archibald Leitch had for the stadium was for it to hold 100,000 fans; eventually it narrowed to 77,000. The construction was carried out by Messrs Brameld and Smith of Manchester.

The inaugural game was played on 19 February 1910 against Liverpool F.C. 4-3 was the score of that game, Manchester United lost. That day 76,962 fans went to support the red devils. Unluckily a few days after the game, the main stand was blown down by a storm.

For ten straight years Manchester united could not play in the old Trafford. Bombing during Second World War, on March 1941, destroyed half of the stadium, notably the main stand. It was rebuilt in 1949 and it cost 22,278 pounds the reconstruction of the ground. It could hold up to 67,000 people.

Most of the stadium was rebuilt as it was before the bombing. A roof was later added to the Streford End in the 1950s, however all the stands suffered from obscured views because of old fashioned roof-post design.The West side will always be the legendary Streford End for the veteran’s fans of the red devils. Crammed behind the goal was a heaving mass of 20,000 standing Man Ud fans, which were the loudest of Britain at that time.

From 1960s to 1980s, over 58,000 fans could pack into old Trafford. However after the Hillsbrough disaster, the Taylor Report required all the stadiums of England to be all seaters. In 1960s the old Trafford was redesign to be a perfect bowl and could help up to 44,000 fans.

The demand increased every day to go watch the red devils play, an expansion was made in 1955-1956; the North Stand was now 200 feet tall and the largest single cantilever roof in Europe. The South Stand is rarely seen on TV because it is where the managers bech area,the directors/ television/ police control boxes and luxury restaurants and executive suites.The East Side was home to the diehard K-Stand United fans, as well as the away fans enclosure in the South-East corner and disabled section. It was formerly known as the Scoreboard End.

In January 2000, 30 million pounds where invested in the redevelopment of the East Stand. The East Side was opened crating a 61,000 capacity. The outside has an image of a modern office block, below it is the location of the huge Manchester United Megastore where every conceivable type of club merchandise is available. On top of the Megastore entrance is the Sir Matt Busby statue. Unveiled in May 1996 he gazes proudly over the forecourt adjacent to the road that bears his name, Sir Matt Busby Way. Off to the left side is the Munich Memorial plaque and the famous Munich clock commemorating the air crash on 6th February 1958 is at the South-East corner.

In August 2000 the second tier of seating was added to the Stretford End / West Side bringing a total capacity of 68,217. A statue of 60's striker Denis Law in the upper concourse was placed there in 2002 - Law was known as "The King of The Stretford End".

A total of £114 million has been spent by the club in the last 14 years on stadium redevelopment but the total cost for a new South Stand would almost equal that sum again with estimates in the region of £90-100 million.