Man Utd Blog

supporting our team through thick and thin....

A Visual Look At Football: Infographic

November 30, 2010 By red devil

Football (or ‘Soccer’ as it is known in North America) is by far the world’s most popular sport with around 600 million people tuning in to watch the World Cup final between the Netherlands and Spain in July of this year. Many star players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Manchester United’s very own Wayne Rooney are household names and are some of the most recognised faces in the sporting world.

Our friend’s at Infographiclabs have put together a visual representation of the most successful clubs in Europe along with a brief history of the World Cup and governing body FIFA.

A visual look at football infographic

Ronaldo Says He Misses Manchester United (From Last Year)

October 10, 2010 By red devil

Cristiano Ronaldo may have had a bit of a troubled relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson by the end of his last season for Manchester United because of his very vocal desire to leave the team but now that he is with Real Madrid, the Portuguese winger has come out to say that he misses being with the Red Devils.

Ronaldo was transferred to Real after an unprecedented £80million fee this summer. But even though he misses life at Old Trafford he still maintains that he made the right choice in going to Real Madrid.

Ronaldo has also dismissed comments that Manchester United has been struggling without him this season. He said that even though the team has lost the last two games they are still the second placers in the league.

I think that it’s very sportsmanly of Ronaldo to say such things about his old club. We’ve often seen players who transfer to a new team lambasting his former teammates and the manager just to justify why they had to transfer in the first place. Ronaldo has proven that you can transfer without having to show any kind of animosity to your former teammates. Yes, he may be seen as a little bit of a brat by most fans but he’s shown that he can also be a stand-up guy.

History of Old Trafford

June 14, 2010 By red devil

otr

Man United Blog, having brought you the complete history of Manchester United in its eleven part series, covering the period from the 1870s to 2000-onwards, feel that the playing history of the club would not be complete without also considering the history of its famous ground, Old Trafford. This could not be considered at a more pertinent time, when one reads a report from The Sun today saying that Old Trafford will be re-named under a possible sponsorship deal, after Vodafone prematurely ended its deal with the club. The Sun claimed the new sponsor could get its name not only on the players’ shirts but also as an addition to the title of the ground. So to the history…

As the The Sporting Chronicle stated on Saturday 19th February 1910:

“The most handsomest, the most spacious and the most remarkable arena I have ever seen. As a football ground it is unrivalled in the world, it is an honour to Manchester and the home of a team who can do wonders when they are so disposed”

The above words were written on Old Trafford’s opening day in 1910. Manchester United had just moved from their old stadium of Bank Street, Clayton, to a new stadium in the Old Trafford area of west Manchester. Built in 1909, for the then huge sum of GBP60,000 it was terraced on three sides with a seated main stand undercover. The stadium was designed by famous Scottish architect Archibald Leitch, who also designed stands at Hampden Park, Ibrox Stadium and White Hart Lane. In 1911 and 1915 it held the FA Cup final and in 1920 it had its largest ever attendance of 70,504 for a league game against Aston Villa. The FA Cup Semi-Finals of 1939 of Portsmouth vs Grimsby would top that with 76,962. The stadium was heavily damaged in World War 2 and for a while United played at local rivals, Man City’s Maine Road stadium from 1946-1949. Old Trafford was a venue for the 1966 World Cup and also held the 1970 FA Cup Final replay between Chelsea and Leeds. Old Trafford became the first stadium to erect perimeter fencing in the 1970’s to combat crowd disturbances.

Roofed cover was later added to the other three sides of the stadium, however all these stands suffered from obstructed views because of old fashioned roof-post design. In the mid 1960s development of modern cantilever stands began on the north and east of the ground. The new design had terracing at the front and a large seated section behind. Gradually the entire ground was redeveloped in the 70s and 80s, culminating with the Stretford End in 1994. In the 1960s, 70s and 80s, over 58,000 could pack into Old Trafford. However in the early 1990s after the Hillsbrough disaster, the Taylor Report required England’s top teams to become all-seater stadiums. The Old Trafford design master plan of the 1960’s was now complete and the stadium was a perfect bowl, but With United more popular than ever the reduced 44,000 capacity was just too small.

This led to further expansion in 1995-6 with the construction of the giant three-tiered North Stand, holding 26,000 and bringing capacity to nearly 56,000. The North Stand, reaching around 200 feet in height has four lift towers and the largest cantilever roof in Europe. This massive, brooding structure towers over the pitch, intimidating opposing teams. Costing GBP19 million to build it also houses the excellent United Museum (open on non-match days) and glittering trophy room (hopefully always full) as well as the Red Cafe restaurant and two layers of executive “Sky” boxes. The South stand is the main stand at Old Trafford, containing the managers bench area, the directors/ television/ police control boxes and luxury restaurants and executive suites. Here, the seating slopes at a different angle to the rest of the stadium, making it slightly lower than the other stands.

Interestingly, the first 20 or so rows of seats around all four sides of the ground are below street level. The South stand is rarely seen on television as it contains the TV gantry, which looks North. The players tunnel used to be at the centre of this stand but in 1993 it was moved to the South-west corner. The old tunnel still remains and is opened for special occasions and stadium tours. The East Stand is home to the diehard K-Stand United fans as well as the away fans enclosure in the South-East corner and disabled section. It was formerly known as the Scoreboard End, so called because of the large scoreboard that resided until the late 60s, when an electronic one was installed. This scoreboard was recently replaced by two modern electronic scoreboards in each corner of the North Stand. Further building redevelopment added a second tier at the east end in January 2000, making a 61,000 capacity. On the outside is a large tinted glass front, similar to a modern office block. Here stands the Sir Matt Busby Statue, Munich memorial plaque and the famous clock commemorating the Munich air crash on 6th February 1958. Its also the location of the huge Manchester United Megastore where every type of club merchandise is available.

The west side of the ground for many, will always be known as the legendary Stretford End. In the days before all-seater stadia the Stretford End was a heaving mass of almost 20,000 standing United fans who were amongst the loudest in Britain. It was once measured that the roar from the crowd was louder than a Jumbo Jet taking off. The old terrace was replaced in 1993 and in August 2000 a second tier of seating was added here, bringing a total capacity of 67,750. The West Stand holds the Family seating area and beneath the corner is the players dressing rooms/tunnel and lounge. It also has a statue of 60’s striker Denis Law in the upper concourse – Law was known as “The King of The Stretford End”.

Old Trafford was a Euro 96 venue and is now an annual host for the FA Cup Semi-final. Many claim the atmosphere at Old Trafford is not as good as it once was, ironically it is the legend of the Old Trafford atmosphere that has brought the tourists yet they are partly responsible for its decline. Sir Alex Ferguson has often complained about the lack of singing and low noise levels, therefore the new upper West Stand tier has designated singing areas to try and recreate the days of old. The long-term plan for the stadium is to rebuild the South stand in a similar style to the North and fill in the corners to make a whopping 90,000. Possible hindrances to further enlargement are the nearby Bridgewater Canal and railway track which restrict space around the stadium. There are currently no plans for any more expansion work in the immediate future.

Old Trafford is undoubtedly one of the greatest and most famous sporting arena’s in the world. In an era where many clubs are moving from their traditional homes and although down the years it has changed beyond all recognition, the magic of Old Trafford will always remain. On a big match day or European night the atmosphere is as good as any venue in world football. The Theatre of Dreams (as Bobby Charlton named it) is the biggest club ground in Britain and a fitting home for the world’s most famous football club.

The history and development of this infamous football ground is covered in some excellent books which you can find at The Ji Sung-Park Online Shop. You can also buy some wonderful Old Trafford memorabilia through one of our sponsors: Kitbag

Fergie happy with Reds’ performance

February 8, 2010 By red devil

With Manchester United’s impressive 5 – 0 win over Portsmouth, Sir Alex Ferguson is reiterating his admiration for his team and their chances for a record fourth consecutive Premier League championship.

The key to the Red Devils’ impressive win was the impressive performances of many of its players. Wayne Rooney scored his 23rd goal for the season, which ties his personal best. Nani has also been reinvigorated and looks like to be on a roll — and Berbatov, Carrick and Wilson are putting in their share of the burden.

Fergie said that a big key to the Red Devils’ success is the team’s patience. Despite the pressure that the team faces in their matches, everyone takes their time and wait for opportunities to arrive — and then they explode.

With their next match against Aston Villa, expect the team to put their best foot forward in order to solidify their position in the league table.

Neville almost sure of getting title this year

February 7, 2010 By red devil

With Manchester United strongly in the running for winning the Premiere League Championship once again this year, Man Utd fans are becoming increasingly stoked about the team’s prospects even with strong competition facing them in the coming months.

But the enthusiasm is not being relegated to fans. Even the members of the team are becoming increasingly optimistic about their chances for a record fourth consecutive championship. And no one is more optimistic than Manchester United Captain Gary Neville, who has been quoted as saying “It is in our hands now and it has not been like that for a while.”

Key to the Red Devils’ success if Wayne Rooney’s amazing run this season. Rooney has been on fire and is ably replacing the void that Cristiano Ronaldo has left. the striker has already scored his 23rd goal this season, which already equals his career best.

Neville wants the Red Devils to maintain their winning form, which is needed now more than ever as they prepare to play AC Milan in the Champions League.

All eyes are now on Nani, who has been playing extremely well in their last few games. If Nani gets his groove, he’ll be a perfect partner to Rooney.

Next Page »

Topics

Blogroll

  • BBC Sport
  • ESPN Soccernet
  • Euro Cup Tickets
  • Fantasy League
  • Footy 247
  • IMUSA
  • In The Mixer
  • Kick In The Grass
  • Man United Pies
  • Man Utd Lens
  • Man Utd Pics
  • Man Utd Zone
  • Manchester News
  • Manchester United Blog
  • MU Tickets
  • MUTV
  • Official MU Site
  • One Big Sport
  • Red Cafe
  • Red Rants
  • Republik Of Mancunia
  • Soccer Blogs
  • Soccer Lens
  • Soccer Mouth
  • Sporting Life
  • The Offside
  • The Sun
  • Through Ball
  • United Rant
  • United’s Blog
  • World Cup Tickets