Stratford End ( born Stretford End ; the official name is West Stand ( eng. West Stand )) is a stand in the western part of Old Trafford , the football stadium of the English club Manchester United . It derives its name from the nearby Stretford Stadium as it is located in the direction of Stretford when viewed from the center of the field. The tribune consists of two tiers, and, along with other tribunes, has a cantilever roof.
History
Traditionally, the most devoted and ardent fans gather at Stretford End, who prefer to support the team with songs and chants while standing on their feet. Until the stadium became fully sedentary, it was the main stand of the stadium, with a capacity of about 20,000 Manchester United fans. Once calculations were made, according to which the roar of the crowd at the Stretford End exceeded in volume the noise from the take-off of the Boeing 747 . The last match played before the famous “standing platform” was a meeting between United and Tottenham Hotspur on May 2, 1992 . The meeting ended in victory for the hosts with a score of 3: 1. It was the final game of the 1991/92 season in the First Division .
During the 1992/93 season, the Stretford End underwent a £ 10 million renovation, in accordance with a Taylor report that required all Premier League and First Division clubs to reconstruct stadiums into fully seated. By the beginning of the 1994/95 season, "Stretford End" became fully seated, acquired a cantilever roof and changed its official name to "The Western Stand" (although the Western Stand is often called the "Stretford End"). By the beginning of the 2000/01 season, the second tier of the tribune was built, which created a powerful atmosphere, which is sometimes compared to the atmosphere that reigned on the old Stretford End. A number of administrative boxes are located on the Western stand, and on the first tier there are sectors for family viewing of masts, which is annoying for many hardcore fans who prefer to stand and sing songs throughout the match. At the southern corner of the podium there is a dressing room for football players, a tunnel and rest rooms.
Only Denis Low and Eric Canton got the nickname “King“ Stretford End ”” among United fans: the first - for his incredible scoring record, the second - for his special aura and charisma on the field.
After the sponsors of Manchester United, Vodafone completed the contract with the club ahead of schedule, the logos of the new sponsors, AIG , were no longer displayed on the seats; “ Nike ” emblem was moved to the seats of the Eastern stand, and the inscription “Stretford End” appeared on the seats of the Western stand. The upper tier of the West Stand is usually occupied by fans who like to stand and sing throughout the match. Basically, on the podium there are fans who also travel with the club to away matches. That is why the exit support of Manchester United is considered one of the best in Britain and shouts over many fans of the opposing teams.
“Stretford End” is also the name of the “Dream Website” ( www.stretfordend.co.uk ), where you can find the most diverse statistics related to “ Manchester United ”. The site contains more than 12,000 information pages. In November 2006, the site became the official supplier of statistics for the official club site ( www.manutd.com ). The Stretford End website provides financial support for two club charity programs: Manchester United Fans Association (MUDSA) and United for UNICEF .
Banners
After completing the construction of the second tier, the club allowed fans to post banners on the wall in front of the second tier. After that, groups of fans were formed who created and paid for the cost of producing banners. Some of the slogans used on banners are listed below:
- 019 Times (19 times) - this banner was replaced by the famous banner 35/36 years in May 2011. He refers to the record 19 United victories in the championship of England. It was first posted May 22, 2011 at the match against Blackpool.
- 035/36 Years (35/36 years) - a reference to a time period during which competitors United, Manchester City , did not win titles. Used until 2011 (when City won the FA Cup ). Fans used a set of numbers on velcro , so that the number of years could be changed every season. This banner was called the “clockwork banner” and could often be seen from the expert room on television during the halftime break.
- MUFC The Religion (Manchester United - religion) - the banner symbolizes a high degree of loyalty and fanaticism towards the club.
- Manchester is my Heaven (Manchester is my paradise) - first posted in January 2010. This red banner quotes Sir Matt Busby , who called Manchester "his paradise." In 1956, Busby rejected the offer of Santiago Bernabéu to become the head coach of Real Madrid , saying that he was already coaching the club of his dreams.
- Giggs Tearing You Apart Since 1991 (Giggs has been tearing you apart since 1991) - the banner appeared in early 2011. It is dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Ryan Giggs speeches for Manchester United.
- Republik of Mancunia (Republic of Mancunia) - Red Army - written in a false Cyrillic and reflecting mankunians' pride in the club and, for some, indifference to the England team .
- 2 O LE GEND (2 O LE gende) - a reference to United striker Ole Gunnar Sulscher , who by the time he created the banner missed more than a year of play due to injury. Solskjer played for the club in a shirt with the number "20".
- One Love - Stretford End - MUFC (One Love - "Stretford End" - "Manchester United") - One Love is the name of the song of the Mankunian band Stone Roses , which was performed at the 1999 Champions League final , which was won by "Manchester United".
- 6 February 1958 - The Flowers of Manchester (February 6, 1958 - the flowers of Manchester) - A tribute to the memory of those killed in the Munich plane crash that took the lives of nine United players. The Flowers of Manchester - the name of the song of The Spinners , written in memory of the plane crash.
- Form Is Temporary Class Is Permanent (The form is temporary, class is permanent) - the banner is a reference to the history of the club and claims that great players have always played in Manchester United. Although in a single match any team can beat any team, it does not reflect the general class of the team.
- Sent To Me From Heaven ... You Are My World (sent to me from heaven ... You are my world) - a reference to the late George Best , the text from the song of Stone Roses called Sally Cinnamon .
In August 2005, the banners disappeared. Initially, this was caused by construction works at the corners of the stadium, but after they were completed, most flag owners decided not to post them again in protest against the seizure of the club by Malcolm Glazer .
New banners appeared on the Stretford End and some of the old ones returned - for example, ONE LOVE STRETFORD END MUFC. The return of this banner was ambiguous among the fans of the club: some of them saw this as an expression of their recognition and confidence in the new owner of the club, Malcolm Glaser and his family.
New banners
- The Phoenix Banner - MUFC - EST 1878 WE'LL NEVER DIE (placed for the first time during the match with Blackburn Rovers )
- Blue Nose Day Banner - Blue Nose day comic relief for 29 yrs (in a match with Manchester City )
- In Memory of Noel Cantwell Banner - Noel Cantwell 1932-2005 RIP (in a match with Manchester City)
- Eusebio I Say Kiddo Banner - Eusebio and I say Kiddo ... Kiddo, Kiddo - Wembley'68 (in the match with Benfica )
- United> England (in a match with Tottenham Hotspur , was later removed after numerous protests)
- F or E verymanc A R eligion (link to Ian Brown's FEAR song)
Statue
At the top of the West Stand there is a statue of the legendary United striker of the 1960s, Denis Law , which was opened on September 23, 2002 . Lowe got the nickname "King" Stretford End "" and is one of the idols of the local old-timers.