Manchester City's home stadium, called the Etihad Stadium, is a professional soccer stadium in Manchester, England. The stadium is bowl-shaped, with three tiers of seating in the East, West and South Stands, and two tiers of seating in the North Stand, with a capacity of approximately 55,097, making it the fourth largest soccer stadium in the Premier League and the eighth largest in the United Kingdom.
I. Introduction
The stadium was originally planned for the 2000 Summer Olympics, but Manchester failed in its bid. It was later built as a sports venue for the 2002 Commonwealth Games at a cost of £100 million (with a later extension costing £45 million). It was later used for soccer and became the new home of Manchester City. Manchester City Football Club moved from Maine Road to Manchester City Stadium in 2003, and in 2010 the contract was renewed for a further 250 years, with Manchester City acquiring the naming rights to the stadium. Since 2011 the stadium has been named by City's sponsor Etihad Airways and is officially known as Etihad Stadium.
II. Manchester City FC
Manchester City Football Club, nicknamed the "Blue Moon", was founded in 1880 and has won six English top flight titles, six English FA Cups, seven English League Cups, four English Football Association Community Shields, and one European Cup Winners' Cup.
The City of Manchester Stadium (English: City of Manchester Stadium), also known as the Etihad Stadium (English: Etihad Stadium), is a professional soccer stadium in Manchester, England.
Manchester City Ground is a sports ground in Manchester, England. It was originally designed for the 2000 Summer Olympics, but Manchester failed in its bid. It was later constructed as a sports venue for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and was later converted for soccer and became the new home of Manchester City...
Manchester City moved from Maine Road to Manchester City Stadium in 2003, signing a 250-year lease. The first soccer match to be played at the stadium (there is no soccer at the Commonwealth Games) was a friendly match between Manchester City and Barcelona on August 10, 2003, which the hosts won 2-1, with Anelka scoring the first goal.
The first competitive soccer match took place four days later, when Manchester City hosted TNS in Wales in the European Union Cup, with the home side winning 5-0, while the crowd record was 47,304, set on February 28, 2004, during a 1-0 win over Chelsea in the Premier League.
In addition to Manchester City matches, Manchester City Stadium also hosts other sporting or non-sporting events. When England played Japan on June 1, 2004, Manchester City Stadium became the 50th home stadium to host a national team international.
On October 30, 2004, it became a stop on the 2004 Rugby League Tri-Nations, a 15-a-side rugby league match between England and Australia.
In June 2005, Manchester City Stadium was the venue for the opening match of the 2005 UEFA Women's European Nations Cup, which set a record for attendance. The stadium has been awarded a four-star rating by UEFA and was selected as the venue for the 2008 UEFA Europa League final.
Manchester City Stadium is generally supported by its fans and was voted the second most popular stadium in the United Kingdom in 2005. However, the atmosphere inside the stadium has been criticized at times, with some detractors suggesting that it is not as warm as the Maine Road stadium.
