There's another new ground to tick-off this Wednesday as we take on Manchester City at The Etihad Stadium. It's 32 years since we last played City away with the blue half of Manchester swapping Maine Road for The Etihad in that time. Here's our away day guide for the trip to M11.
Opponents: Manchester City
Date: Wednesday 9 February
Kick-off: 7.45pm
Capacity: 55,017
Post code for sat-nav: M11 3FF
Built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the City of Manchester Stadium, as it was initially known, became Manchester City's base in August 2003, replacing their Maine Road home of 80 years.
The initial stadium housed 41,000 spectators in a two-tier structure. Prior to the 2012 Summer Olympics, the 2002 Commonwealths were the largest multi-sport event ever to be staged in the United Kingdom, eclipsing the earlier London 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and competing athletes (3,679), and it was the world's first multi-sport tournament to include a limited number of full medal events for elite athletes with a disability.
Following the games, the athletics track was excavated and the stadium pitch level reduced to create a third tier. Sections of the track were removed and relaid at other athletics venues, and the internal ground level was lowered to make way for an additional tier of seating, on terracing already constructed then buried for the original configuration.
During the 2014/15 season, the South Stand was extended with the addition of a third tier, increasing stadium capacity to approximately 55,000.
The stadium is part of a wider City Football Campus which includes the stadium, City Football Academy, and club world headquarters. There are plans for a new 23,500 capacity indoor arena which could be used for events such as MMA, concerts, basketball and other events on the site.
DID YOU KNOW?
On 24 May 2008, Stockport-born and twice IBF and IBO light welterweight champion boxer, Ricky Hatton defeated Juan Lazcano in a contest billed as "Hatton's Homecoming". The fight was held in front of 56,337 fans, setting a record attendance for a British boxing event post World War II
HOW TO GET THERE
The Etihad is a cashless stadium. All payments inside and outside the stadium will be contactless and cash will not be accepted.
Backpacks, holdalls, rucksacks, or other similar items of any size, large or small, will not be allowed into the stadium. Small handheld bags, no larger than A4 size (12”x8”x3”) will be accepted. If you must bring a bag to the stadium that exceeds the allowable size, bag drop facilities that you can use to securely store your items will be in place until the match has finished.
If you have a medical condition that requires you to bring a bag or other equipment, please contact the Access Team at [email protected].
The bag drop will be priced at £10.
WHERE TO EAT/DRINK
Printworks and Deansgate are great places to eat and drink in Manchester City centre, with a number of bars and restaurants in the area.
If you are looking for something different, the National Football Museum (M4 3BG) is in the middle of Manchester, next to Victoria Station, housing the world’s greatest football collection of over 140,000 items. It’s open 10am-5pm, Monday to Saturday.
Season Ticket/Premium Seat Holders are still able to buy up to six tickets for our away game against Manchester City from the Box Office only. Tickets for this fixture will be available until Wednesday 9 February, 11am.
Buy your tickets now