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Stretford End
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Stretford End, officially named West Stand, is a stand on the west side of Old Trafford, the stadium of Manchester United F.C. It took its name from the nearby town of Stretford, as it is in the direction of Stretford, looking from the centre of the pitch. The stand is divided into two tiers, and in common with the rest of the stadium, it has a cantilever roof.
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Traditionally, the Stretford End housed United's diehard supporters. In the days before all-seater stadia, it was the main standing area of the ground, accommodating 20,000 standing United fans. The noise and atmosphere of the ground on matchdays still comes mainly from the Stretford End, and it was once measured that the roar from the crowd was louder than a jumbo jet taking off.
In 1993, the Stretford End was converted into an all-seater stand to comply with the Taylor Report, and its name was officially changed to West Stand, although it is still often referred to as the Stretford End. In 2000, a second tier of seating was added. As well as hosting a number of executive boxes, the first tier of the West Stand is now partly taken up by the family seating area which is one of the quietest areas in the stadium, a contrast to the old Stretford End. Beneath one of the corners are the players' dressing rooms, tunnel and lounge.
Only Denis Law and Éric Cantona have reached the status 'King of the Stretford End' among the United faithful. The former for his formidable goal record, the latter for his on-pitch charisma and aura.
Following Manchester United's premature ending with the clubs sponsor Vodafone, the new sponsor, AIG will not be displayed in the seats and the 'Nike Swoosh' has been relocated to the East Stand and the words 'Stretford End' have been written on the seats of the West Stand.
Stretford End is also the title of The Website of Dreams (www.stretfordend.co.uk) which is the unrivalled home of Manchester United statistics on the internet with over 12,000 pages of data about the club's match and player history. It has recently (November 2006) become the official supplier of statistics to Manchester United's official club website (www.manutd.com). The Stretford End website raises funds for two Manchester United charities, Manchester United Disabled Supporters' Association (MUDSA) and United for Unicef.
Once work on the second tier was complete, the club allowed supporters to mount banners on the wall in front of the second tier, and groups of supporters got together to produce and pay for them. The slogans on the banners included:
- 030 Years — a reference to the length of time since United's rivals Manchester City had won a major trophy. The supporters purchased a set of matching numbers with velcro so that the number could be updated each year.
- MUFC The Religion — symbolizing fanaticism and loyalism for the club. MUFC stands for Manchester United Football Club.
- Republik Of Mancunia – Red Army — written in faux Cyrillic showcasing the Mancunian pride of the supporters and, for some, their apathy towards the England national football team.
- 2O LEGEND — a reference to the United player Ole Gunnar Solskjær who had been injured for over a year when the banner was made. Solskjær wears number 20 on his shirt.
- One Love – Stretford End – MUFC — One Love is the title of a song by Manchester band the Stone Roses that was played at the 1999 European Cup final, which Manchester United won.
- February 6, 1958 – The Flowers of Manchester — A tribute to the Munich air disaster, in which eight United players died. The Flowers of Manchester is the title of a tribute song by The Spinners.
The banners were removed in August 2005. Initially this was caused by building work on the corners of the stadium, but the majority of their owners decided not to put them back up as a protest against Malcolm Glazer's takeover of Manchester United.
More Banners have returned to Stretford End designed by the fans. The last banner will be voted on by the fans during the end of 2005. This however has caused much controversy amongst United supporters, some of whom consider it to be a show of faith and acceptance towards Malcolm Glazer and his family.
New Banners
- The Phoenix Banner - "MUFC -EST 1878 WE'LL NEVER DIE" (first in place at The Blackburn Match)
- Blue Nose Day Banner - "Blue Nose day comic relief for 29 yrs" (in place at The Manchester City Match)
- In Memory of Noel Cantwell Banner - "Noel Cantwell 1932-2005 RIP" (In place at The Manchester City Match)
- Eusebio I Say Kiddo Banner - "Eusebio and I say Kiddo...Kiddo,Kiddo - Wembley'68" (In place at The Benfica game)
The New Fans Group Stretford End Flags responsible for the new banners above can be found at http://www.stretfordendflags.com
It also has the statue of United's 1960s legend Denis Law on the upper concourse which was unveiled on 23 September 2002. Law was known as the "King of Stretford End" as he was idolized by the End's faithful.
Access to Stretford End - The Website of Dreams
| Manchester United Football Club |
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| Manchester United F.C. | Players |
| History: pre-1945 | 1945-1969 | 1969-1986 | 1986-1998 | 1998-1999 | 1999-present |
| Busby Babes | Munich air disaster |
| Old Trafford | Stretford End | Manchester derby |
| Glazer takeover |
| MUTV |