Maine Road was a football stadium in the Moss Side district of Manchester, England — Manchester City’s home ground from its opening on 25 August 1923 until the club’s final match there on 11 May 2003. For 80 years it stood as one of English football’s most iconic venues, capable of holding over 84,000 fans at its peak and situated just two miles south of Manchester city centre.
Built on a 16.25-acre former brickworks site for around £100,000 and designed by architect Charles Swain, Maine Road was completed in roughly 300 days. It hosted FA Cup semi-finals, England internationals, and even sheltered Manchester United as a wartime tenant while Old Trafford was bomb-damaged. The stadium was demolished in 2004, and a housing estate now occupies the site — though the old centre spot has been preserved in a communal green area as a nod to its history.
Quick Answer
Maine Road stadium was Manchester City’s home ground from 1923 to 2003, located in Moss Side, Manchester (postcode M14 7WN), approximately two miles south of the city centre. After the club moved to the City of Manchester Stadium (now the Etihad Stadium) in 2003, Maine Road was demolished in 2004. The site today is a housing estate, with the old centre spot preserved in a communal green space.
Maine Road Stadium Location
Maine Road stadium sat in Moss Side, a residential neighbourhood roughly two miles south of Manchester city centre — actually closer to the city than Old Trafford, which lies across the river in Stretford. The stadium address was Maine Road, Moss Side, Manchester, M14 7WN, with coordinates approximately 53°27′4″N, 2°14′7″W. The ground occupied 16.25 acres on what had been a Victorian brickworks.
The surrounding streets formed a tightly woven working-class neighbourhood that defined the character of the ground. Kippax Street, running along the east side of the stadium, gave the famous Kippax Stand its name. For visiting fans, the ground was reachable by bus from Manchester Piccadilly or Victoria, with the short walk from the bus stop along Maine Road itself a pre-match ritual for generations of supporters.
Maine Road Stadium Now: What Is There Today?
Since Maine Road’s demolition in 2003–2004, the site has been redeveloped as a residential estate. The scheme, overseen by Manchester City Council as part of a broader Moss Side regeneration programme, delivered 474 new homes, a new school, and a retirement complex. At the time, the redevelopment was described as vitally important to improving the quality of housing in the Moss Side area.
The most poignant remnant of the old stadium is the preserved centre spot, which sits in a communal green space within the housing estate. There is also a small memorial to Stan Gibson, the stadium’s final groundsman. Visitors today would find little outwardly to indicate that a 35,000-capacity football ground once stood there — but for those who know where to look, the centre spot marks the invisible heart of what was once Manchester’s most famous sporting arena.
Manchester City’s Old Ground: History and Timeline
Manchester City chose to build Maine Road after a fire in 1920 severely damaged the main stand at their previous home, Hyde Road in Ardwick. The club purchased the Moss Side brickworks site for £5,500, appointed Charles Swain as architect and Sir Robert McAlpine as structural engineer, and completed the project in approximately 300 days at a total cost of around £100,000.
The ground opened on 25 August 1923 with Manchester City defeating Sheffield United 2–1 in front of 58,159 supporters — an immediate statement of ambition. Within a decade the terracing could accommodate enormous crowds, and on 3 March 1934 a record attendance of 84,569 packed Maine Road for an FA Cup sixth-round tie against Stoke City. That figure stood as the English football record for a club home ground for many years, only surpassed when Tottenham Hotspur temporarily used Wembley Stadium in 2017–18.
Manchester City played their last competitive match at Maine Road on 11 May 2003, losing 1–0 to Southampton. The following season they relocated to the newly built City of Manchester Stadium in east Manchester — a ground constructed for the 2002 Commonwealth Games and later renamed the Etihad Stadium — roughly three miles from their old home in Moss Side.
The Famous Stands: Kippax, Main Stand and More
Maine Road’s layout evolved piecemeal over eight decades, producing stands of varying ages and heights that gave the ground a wonderfully asymmetric silhouette. The Main Stand, on the west side of the pitch, was the stadium’s original showpiece and the first section to feature seats, housing 10,000 spectators while the rest of the ground remained open terracing.
The Kippax — originally known as the Popular Side — ran the full length of the east touchline and became the spiritual home of City’s most passionate fans. In 1956 a roof was added and the stand was renamed after the adjacent Kippax Street (itself named after the West Yorkshire town of Kippax). As the Taylor Report’s all-seater requirements took effect following the Hillsborough disaster, the old Kippax terrace was demolished in summer 1994. A dramatic new three-tier stand, opened by club legend Bert Trautmann in October 1995 at a cost of £16 million, housed 10,178 seats and was briefly the tallest football stand in England.
The North Stand (built in the 1970s with a cantilevered roof design) and the Platt Lane Stand (demolished in 1992 for safety reasons and replaced by the all-seater Umbro/Kappa Stand, opened March 1993) completed the four-sided ground. At closure in 2003, the fully all-seater Maine Road held a capacity of 35,150.
Manchester United at Maine Road
One of Maine Road’s most remarkable chapters involves its greatest rivals. When German bombing raids during World War II left Old Trafford heavily damaged, Manchester United required an emergency home — and it was Manchester City who stepped in, allowing United to use Maine Road from 1945 to 1949. United paid City £5,000 per season plus a share of gate receipts during this arrangement.
United returned briefly in the 1956–57 season while further repairs were carried out at Old Trafford. The sight of Manchester United playing home matches in Moss Side remains one of English football’s most extraordinary footnotes — two fierce city rivals sharing the same turf across multiple seasons.
Notable Events and Records
Beyond its use as a club ground, Maine Road earned a reputation as one of England’s finest neutral venues — sometimes called the Wembley of the North. It hosted 18 FA Cup semi-finals between 1928 and 1994. The final one, in April 1994, saw Manchester United defeat Oldham Athletic 4–1 in a replay, a match that precipitated the demolition of the old Kippax terrace to meet all-seater requirements.
Maine Road hosted two official England international matches: a 3–0 defeat of Wales on 13 November 1946, and a 9–2 victory over Northern Ireland on 16 November 1949 — the latter being England’s first ever FIFA World Cup qualifier. Wartime internationals were also staged at the ground. The stadium additionally hosted the 1984 Football League Cup Final replay, in which Liverpool defeated Everton 1–0.
Stats at a Glance
Team(s): Manchester City F.C. (1923–2003); Manchester United F.C. (temporary tenant, 1945–49 and 1956–57). Location: Moss Side, Manchester, M14 7WN. Opened: 25 August 1923. Closed: 11 May 2003 (demolished 2004). Capacity at closure: 35,150 (all-seater). Record attendance: 84,569 — Manchester City vs. Stoke City, FA Cup, 3 March 1934. Construction cost: approx. £100,000. Architect: Charles Swain. Site today: residential housing estate with preserved centre spot.
maine road stadium FAQs
Where was Maine Road stadium located?
Maine Road stadium was located in Moss Side, Manchester, England, at postcode M14 7WN. It was approximately two miles south of Manchester city centre, built on a 16.25-acre former brickworks site off Maine Road itself.
What is on the Maine Road stadium site now?
The site of Maine Road is now a housing estate, developed as part of a Moss Side regeneration programme. It contains 474 new homes, a school, and a retirement complex. The old pitch centre spot has been preserved in a communal green space within the development as a tribute to the stadium’s history.
When did Manchester City leave Maine Road?
Manchester City played their final match at Maine Road on 11 May 2003, losing 1–0 to Southampton. The club then relocated to the City of Manchester Stadium (now the Etihad Stadium) for the start of the 2003–04 season.
What was the record attendance at Maine Road?
The ground’s record attendance was 84,569, set on 3 March 1934 during an FA Cup sixth-round match between Manchester City and Stoke City. This stood as the English football record for a club home ground for many decades, only beaten when Tottenham used Wembley as a temporary home in 2017–18.
Why did Manchester City leave Maine Road?
Manchester City left Maine Road to move into the City of Manchester Stadium, built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. The new venue offered greater capacity, modern facilities, and was part of a wider east Manchester regeneration project. Maine Road’s ageing infrastructure and rising renovation costs also made the move financially compelling.
Did Manchester United ever play at Maine Road?
Yes. Manchester United used Maine Road as a temporary home from 1945 to 1949 while Old Trafford was repaired after World War II bomb damage, and again briefly in the 1956–57 season. United paid Manchester City £5,000 per season plus a share of gate receipts during the post-war tenancy.
What is Manchester City’s current stadium?
Manchester City’s current stadium is the Etihad Stadium (originally called the City of Manchester Stadium), located in the Eastlands area of east Manchester. The club moved there for the 2003–04 season after leaving Maine Road. The Etihad has a current capacity of over 53,000.
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