Bank Street (football ground)
Bank Lane | |
Clayton, Manchester | |
Coordinates | 53°29′07″N 2°11′22″W / 53.48528°N 2.18944°W |
---|---|
Owner | Bradford and Clayton Athletic Company (–1898) Mr W. Crompton (1898–1910) |
Capacity | ~50,000 |
Surface | Grass |
Construction | |
Demolished | 1910 |
Tenants | |
Manchester United (1893–1910; known as Newton Heath, 1893–1902) |
Bank Street, also known as Bank Lane,
The stadium was in poor repair towards the end of its life and, shortly after the club moved out to Old Trafford, the main stand at Bank Street blew down in a storm.[2] The site is now occupied by the BMX indoor arena of the National Cycling Centre, with a plaque on a house wall on Bank Street indicating the presence of the former ground.[3] The site is close to the City of Manchester Stadium, the home of Manchester City Football Club.[4]
History
Early years
Also known as Bank Lane,
Newton Heath's first
Expansion
In October 1895, before the visit of Manchester City to Bank Street, the club purchased a 2,000-capacity stand from Broughton Rangers Rugby League Club, and put up another stand on the "reserved side" (as distinct from the "popular side"). However, weather restricted the attendance for the Manchester City match to just 12,000.[8] Improvements to the ground were restricted by the running track that encompassed the pitch, which, by the request of the Bradford and Clayton Athletic Company, could not be removed. However, the ground came into the possession of the club's former president, Mr W. Crompton, in 1898, allowing them to make whatever improvements to it they desired. One report in the Manchester Courier predicted the addition of a 25-foot (7.6 m) tall stand on the side adjacent to Bank Street itself, with a refreshment stand underneath, while the opposite stand would be moved back 6 yards (5.5 m) and raised up on brickwork by around 16 feet (4.9 m), with the space underneath to be used as changing rooms for the players and referee and various rooms for the club committee.[9]
These improvements would cost a lot of money, however, and this, in combination with the players' ever-increasing wages, sent the club into a period of financial turmoil. The club was presented with a winding up order in January 1902, and Bank Street was on the brink of being repossessed until they were saved at the eleventh hour by a wealthy local brewer,
Around the turn of the 20th century, Newton Heath pulled off a significant coup by persuading the Manchester Evening News to set up an office at Bank Street. In response to Manchester City's relationship with the Manchester Evening Chronicle, the Heathens' believed that their partnership with the Evening News would cultivate interest in the club, while the newspaper would benefit from increased coverage of football.[12]
Departure and destruction
Following Manchester United's first league title in 1908 and the FA Cup a year later, it was decided that Bank Street was too restrictive for Davies' ambition and the club would have to move to a new stadium five miles away in
References
- Notes
- ^ a b c d Shury, p.21
- ^ a b c Murphy, p.27
- ^ "Manchester Blue, Red & Black Plaques". Salford: Papillon (Manchester UK). 17 November 2005. Archived from the original on 1 February 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g Inglis, p.234
- ^ McCartney, p.7
- ^ a b Shury, pp. 21–22
- ^ a b Murphy, p.14
- ^ Shury, p.24
- ^ Shury, pp. 29–30
- ^ Shury, pp. 33–37
- ^ "Mon 4 Apr 1904 English Football League 2 SFL 1". LondonHearts.co.uk. Archived from the original on 30 October 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2008.
- ^ James, p.393
- ^ a b c James, p.396
- ^ McCartney, p.13
- ^ a b James, p.397
- ^ White, pp. 23–24
- Bibliography
- Inglis, Simon (1996) [1985]. Football Grounds of Britain (3rd ed.). London: CollinsWillow. ISBN 0-00-218426-5.
- James, Gary (2008). Manchester – A Football History. Halifax: James Ward. ISBN 978-0-9558127-0-5.
- McCartney, Iain (1996). Old Trafford - Theatre of Dreams. Harefield: Yore Publications. ISBN 1-874427-96-8.
- Murphy, Alex (2006). The Official Illustrated History of Manchester United. London: Orion Books. ISBN 0-7528-7603-1.
- Shury, Alan; Landamore, Brian (2005). The Definitive Newton Heath F.C. SoccerData. ISBN 1-899468-16-1.
- White, Jim (2008). Manchester United: The Biography. London: Sphere. ISBN 978-1-84744-088-4.