Know Our Old Trafford: United Won't Re-Lay Pitch

Recently, most fans concern that our Old Trafford pitch condition is not up to the standard 'for a team pushing for the EPL title'. The Reds' surface has become patchy and club officials inspected the pitch this week (after the Reading game) as they mulled over the possibility of bringing in the bulldozers. Meanwhile, Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that the club have rejected the option to relay the Old Trafford pitch. The turf has been cutting up in recent weeks and the United boss revealed his concern after the Reds' 2-0 win over Charlton earlier this month. However, after much deliberation and discussion with groundsman Tony Sinclair, the club have decided to shelve relaying plans. "David Gill, myself and the groundsman had a long look at the pitch on Wednesday morning after we got back from Lille," explained the United boss. "We had to make a decision about whether or not we should relay it. "It's a difficult one because relaying a pitch doesn't always work, and doing that can sometimes be as big a problem than keeping the original. "We feel by the time our next home game against Lille comes round things will have improved. So we've decided to stick with ours," he added. "The weather is getting better, it's a bit milder and there is some growth in the grass at the moment, so hopefully we get enough back to ensure we have a comfortable pitch to play on." See the difference Just take a look at Arsenal's Emirates and see the difference. Why do Arsenal always has greener pitch than our Old Trafford. Anybody could brief the fans on this? Sources: manutd.com, arsenal.com, manutdtalk.com, manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Know Our Old Trafford: Stretford End

Finally, i have found the new image of West Stand with words 'Stretford End'. Here i share with all of you, my fellow Man Utd die-hard supporters. Following Manchester United's premature ending with the clubs sponsor Vodafone, the new sponsor, AIG will not be displayed in the seats and the 'Nike Swoosh' has been relocated to the East Stand and the words 'Stretford End' have been written on the seats of the West Stand. The legendary West Stand with words 'Stretford End' Image Courtesy: unitedonelove.blogspot.com

West Stand: Stretford End

Old Trafford: The Legendary Stretford End The Stretford End, officially named West Stand, is a stand on the west side of Old Trafford. It took its name from the nearby town of Stretford, as it is in the direction of Stretford, looking from the centre of the pitch. The stand is divided into two tiers, and in common with the rest of the stadium, it has a cantilever roof. In 1993, the Stretford End was converted into an all-seater stand to comply with the Taylor Report, and its name was officially changed to West Stand, although it is still often referred to as the Stretford End. In 2000, a second tier of seating was added. As well as hosting a number of executive boxes, the first tier of the West Stand is now partly taken up by the family seating area which is one of the quietest areas in the stadium, a contrast to the old Stretford End. Beneath one of the corners are the players' dressing rooms, tunnel and lounge. Only Denis Law and Éric Cantona have reached the status 'King of the Stretford End' among the United faithful. The former for his formidable goal record, the latter for his on-pitch charisma and aura. Following Manchester United's premature ending with the clubs sponsor Vodafone, the new sponsor, AIG will not be displayed in the seats and the 'Nike Swoosh' has been relocated to the East Stand and the words 'Stretford End' have been written on the seats of the West Stand. Old Trafford: The Inside View of Stretford End. Notice that 'Nike Swoosh' was displayed there, before been replaced by the words 'Stretford End' Old Trafford: Stretford End View from East Stand

The East Stand

Old Trafford: The East Stand The East Stand was home to the diehard K-Stand United fans (many of whom have relocated to the Stretford End) as well as the away fans enclosure in the South-East corner and disabled section. It was formerly known as the Scoreboard End, so called because of the large scoreboard that resided until the late 60s, when an electronic one was installed. This scoreboard was recently replaced by four modern electronic scoreboards situated around the stadium. As part of a £30 million redevelopment to put a second tier at each end, in January 2000, the East Stand upper deck was opened creating a 61,000 capacity. On its outside is a large tinted glass front, similar to a modern office block. Below 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. Old Trafford: East Stand from the Outside Old Trafford: East Stand and bronze statue of Sir Matt Busby

The North Stand

The New North Stand Following the 1990 Hillsborough disaster, the Taylor Report recommended, and the government demanded, a move to all-seater stadia. This led to expansion in 1995-6 with the construction of the giantantic three-tiered North Stand, holding 26,000 and bringing capacity to nearly 56,000. The North Stand, reaching around 200 feet in height has four stairwell towers, several lifts and the largest cantilever single roof in Europe. Old Trafford: The North Stand Old Trafford: The North Stand View from South Stand Old Trafford: The North Stand View from Outside Old Trafford: The View from 3rd Tier, North Stand

Main (South) Stand

The South Stand is the smallest stand at Old Trafford but contains the managers bench area, the directors/ television/ police control boxes and luxury restaurants and executive suites. It is rarely seen on television as it contains the TV gantry, which looks North. The players tunnel used to be at the centre of this stand but in 1993 it was moved to the South-west corner. The old tunnel still remains and is opened for special occasions and stadium tours. The seating slopes at a different angle to the rest of the stadium, making it slightly lower than the other stands. The first 20 or so rows of seats around all four sides of the ground are below street level.

Know Our Old Trafford

Oldtrafford: 2001 Aerial View Oldtrafford: 2007 Aerial View Old Trafford: Grand Layout Old Trafford: Main (South) Stand Old Trafford: The North and West Stand Old Trafford: The East Stand SOURCES & REFERENCES wikipedia manutdzone yfh45.dial.pipex

Old Trafford is UEFA 5-Star Stadia

Luzhniki Stadium, like Old Trafford also has been rated as 5-Star Stadia by UEFA. 5-Star rating A 5-star rating enables a stadium to host the finals of the UEFA European Football Championship and UEFA Champions League. They can also host finals of the UEFA Cup. All have seated capacities in excess of 50,000 spectators (with the exception of Ernst Happel Stadium, which is being expanded to 50,000-plus capacity for Euro 2008) and meet a number of additional quality criteria. 4-star rated stadia (capacity over 30,000 spectators) may hold the finals of the UEFA Cup. Criteria for UEFA 5 Star rating Minimum capacity of 50,000 (5-star venues) / 30,000 (4-star venues) – individual seats with backrests. (Venues that still have individual seats without proper backrests will still continue to be accepted. In future, however, closer attention will be paid to this aspect, and which will influence the committee’s decision regarding the addition of venues to these list categories.) Pitch dimensions of 105 x 68 m. The field of play must be in pristine condition and be prepared accordingly for a final (quality of grass, irrigation, smooth surface, etc.). Protective fences around the field of play are not acceptable. Venues which have such installations will not be included on the list. For More Informations on the Criteria, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Stadia_List UEFA 5-star stadia in England Old Trafford will be joined by new Wembley Stadium - alongside the Emirates Stadium - as the only UEFA 5-star stadia in England.

Manchester United Stadium: Old Trafford

STADIUM INFORMATION Name: Old Trafford Nickname: Theatre of Dreams Inauguration: 1909 Capacity: 76,000 seats Record Attendance: 76,962; Wolves-Grimsby, 25 March 1939 Address: Sir Matt Busby Way, Old Trafford, Manchester, M16 0RA DIRECTIONS Car: From the Clockwise M60 (increasing junction numbers): Leave the Motorway at Junction 7 to join the A56 Manchester bound. Remain on the A56 following the signs for Manchester United. Turn left into Sir Matt Busby Way. Car parking is on the right in front of the stadium. From the Anti-clockwise M60 (decreasing junction numbers): Leave the M60 at Junction 9 and join Parkway (A5081) towards Trafford Park. At the first island take the 3rd exit onto Village Way and remain on this road until the next island (controlled by traffic lights). At this island take the second exit and then join Wharfside Way. Turn right at the junction with Sir Matt Busby Way, car parking is on the left in front of the stadium. Metrolink: Station 'Old Trafford' Nearest Airport: Manchester International Airport (15 km) STADIUM TOURS Options: Daily guided stadium tours (+ Man Utd museum) Opening times: Daily: 9:40-4:30 Prices: £9.00 (museum only: £5.50) More information/bookings: Tel: +44 (0) 870 442 1994 Email: tours@manutd.co.uk Internet: http://www.manutd.com/oldtrafford/frmtourbooking.sps TICKETS (Man Utd Games) Prices: £26.00-£34.00 Buy (apply for) tickets: Tel: +44 (0) 870 442 1999 (Ticket sales) Email: tickets@manutd.co.uk Internet: http://www.manutd.com/tickets/