CITY GO BACK TO THE FUTURE AFTER MAINE ROAD GOODBYE

MAINE ROAD was hailed as the Wembley of the north when it first opened its gates in 1923. Eighty years later, the Manchester City stadium wasn’t fit for purpose. A ground that once held 84,569 fans for City’s FA Cup tie against Stoke – still a record for an English club stadium – had seen the capacity cut to just 35,000. A temporary seating area was nicknamed the “Gene Kelly Stand” because it was open to the elements and fans spent 90 minutes “Singin’ In The Rain”. The ground was also used as a concert venue for the likes of Prince and Oasis. But while a move to the 48,000-capacity City of Manchester Stadium meant a return to the club’s roots on the east side of town, the season was still a rollercoaster of emotions for supporters who knew the terraced streets and alleyways of Moss Side as home. John Wardle, who was City’s chairman at the time, said: “It was as if you had been living in a terraced house and were given the keys to a five-bedroomed mansion. “It was great but also sad because of leaving Maine Road.” (City v Manchester United at the ground from August 1960, below). Five years later, the move would prove to be a key element behind Sheikh Mansour’s decision to buy the club and catapult City to title wins and the Champions League. But in 2002, Kevin Keegan had only won promotion back to the top-flight the previous season. Keegan would finish ninth, the highlight of the campaign a 3-1 win over United in the last derby to be staged at the old stadium.