Old Trafford, officially named Old Trafford Football Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Greater Manchester, England. It is used primarily for association football matches, hosting the home games of Manchester United, its owner.
Opened on 19 February 1910 with a match between Manchester United and Liverpool, it replaced the original North Road Ground, which had a capacity of 50,000. The seating capacity of the new stadium is currently set at 74,140. The stadium was designed by Scottish architect Archibald Leitch and had a construction cost of about £60,000.
A UEFA category four stadium and one of the biggest stadiums by capacity in Europe (the biggest in United Kingdom), Old Trafford has hosted several matches of the FIFA World Cup 1966, UEFA Euro 1996, as well as the 2003 final of the UEFA Champions League. It was honoured with the title of 'Theatre of Dreams' by Bobby Charlton. By its hundredth birthday, Old Trafford had welcomed more than 100 million spectators. The stadium is one of the potential venues for future international tournaments.
While the previous Manchester United stadium was also officially named 'Bank Street', both the old and the new stadia are invariably referred to by their unofficial name, Old Trafford. Trafford is the name of the borough the stadium was built on, on the border between the areas of Stretford and Salford, which itself derives its name from the nearby Old Trafford Cricket Ground. This unofficial name caught on soon after the original stadium's construction; the people of Manchester used to simply call it Old Trafford ('the Trafford'). Therefore, the stadium's common name became 'Old Trafford', which is usually referenced to as the 'Theatre of Dreams'. This epithet, however, could be argued to be symbolic, since Old Trafford refers not to 'a dream' but to the original location of the stadium: Sir Matt Busby Way ('Busby's Way').
Old Trafford has been Manchester United's home ground since 1910, with the exception of an eight-year absence from 1941 to 1949, following the bombing of the stadium during the Second World War. During this period, the club shared Maine Road with local rivals Manchester City. Old Trafford is the second-largest football stadium in England after Wembley Stadium, and the ninth-largest in Europe. It has hosted various high-profile matches, including World Cup and European Championship matches.
The stadium's record attendance was recorded in 1939, when 76,962 spectators watched the FA Cup semi-final between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Grimsby Town. The ground has frequently hosted FA Cup semi-final matches as a neutral venue and several England international fixtures while the new Wembley Stadium was under construction. It also hosted matches at the 1966 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 1996, and the 2003 UEFA Champions League Final. Outside football, Old Trafford has hosted Rugby League's Super League Grand Final since the league's adoption of playoffs in 1998 and the final of the 2000 Rugby League World Cup.
Aside from football, Old Trafford has been used for various purposes. It hosted a boxing world title fight between Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn in 1993, and also served as the finish line for the Greater Manchester Marathon in 2012. Furthermore, several music concerts have been held at the stadium, including performances by Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, and the Rolling Stones. Old Trafford continues to be an iconic venue in the world of sports and entertainment, embodying the rich history and culture of Manchester United and the city of Manchester itself.
An appropriate location, with excellent accessibility and sufficient space for future expansion, was identified in the southeast part of the Old Trafford district. Being situated on the boundary between the Old Trafford and Stretford districts, the new stadium was initially known as the 'Stretford End Stadium'.
The club always had the goal of owning both the stadium and the surrounding terrains, although initially a lease was secured for the municipal terrains, with the final purchase only taking place in 1909. The plans for the sports complex had been outlined as early as the late 1890s by John Henry Davies, a former player for the club.
Driven by the club's president, John Henry Davies, the members coped with an increased fee to support the construction costs for the new stadium, offered generous donations, and some even worked on the construction site on holidays or weekends. There was even a 'brick campaign', whereby large quantities of bricks were donated to the club.
The construction officially started on 4 February 1909. Less than a year later, and at a cost of £90,000, on 19 February 1910 (a national holiday), a 45,000-capacity crowd filled the stadium for the inaugural match against rivals Liverpool FC.
Old Trafford, with its rich history and iconic status, has since undergone several expansions and renovations. The most significant of which was in 1996, when the North Stand was rebuilt, increasing the stadium's capacity to 55,000. Further expansions in 2000 and 2006 brought the total seating capacity to over 74,000, making Old Trafford the second-largest football stadium in the United Kingdom.
The stadium has also seen the installation of state-of-the-art facilities including floodlights in 1957, undersoil heating in 1985, and a cantilever roof in 1990. These developments have ensured that Old Trafford remains one of the most advanced stadiums in world football.
Old Trafford is not just a football stadium but also a symbol of the club's history, success, and ambition. The Theatre of Dreams, as it is fondly called, continues to inspire players, fans, and visitors alike, holding a revered place in the world of football.
Old Trafford (1910) (in English): Information about the history and key facts of Old Trafford. www.manutd.com
Old Trafford (The Theatre of Dreams) – until 2003: Detailed historical account of Old Trafford up until 2003. www.stadiumdb.com
The Dream Never Dies, Preface, Prime Books, 2003 (ISBN 972-8820-07-0): An elaborate description of Old Trafford, referred to as 'The Theatre of Dreams'. www.primebooks.com
Manchester United 100 glorious years - The History 1, Edition and Contents, S.A., 2003 (ISBN 989-554-099-X): Comprehensive history of Manchester United and Old Trafford. www.mufc-history.com
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