Product Description

The only officially approved history of Maine Road is the perfect book for any supporter of City; Maine Road attendee; or general football enthusiast.
The book details the history of the stadium focussing on its development, and on the key games and events which have made Maine Road such a famous and important venue. Using first hand accounts, as told by supporters, players, administrators, and the media this book has been written and designed to the same high quality used in the highly acclaimed Manchester: The Greatest City. With special features on all the big City matches, international games, FA Cup semi-finals, League Cup finals, Rugby finals, concerts, religious meetings, and even on United’s use of the stadium during the forties and for European Cup games in the fifties. In addition both City’s former ground Hyde Road and future venue the City of Manchester Stadium have been covered to provide the complete history of City’s three homes.

As with earlier works by Gary James & Polar Publishing this book is destined to be regarded as the definitive history of Maine Road & Manchester City’s other grounds.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1149249 in Books
• Published on: 2003-08-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover

Hugh Ryden, King of the Kippax fanzine
The architecture, the moving memories, the reproduction of rare photos and memorabilia and its extensive quotations, make FTMR a must.

From the Publisher
Gary James is the appropriate man to write this work after a lifetime's research on the club and its stadium. As a boy Gary was a regular in the Platt Lane Stand; then at the age of 16 he bought his own season ticket for the Kippax Stand and has been a season ticket holder ever since. He is also a respected journalist with articles for a wide range of publications including The Times and has recently managed the development of Manchester City's new museum.

From the Author
On 320 beautifully illustrated A4 size pages this book tells the story of Maine Road from conception, right through to its final days as a sporting venue. With excellent photographs - including rare illustrations of the stadium during construction never previously published and images from every era - this has been a very interesting book to research, write and compile. I've also tried to ensure the views of ordinary fans are included, and some of the most powerful Maine Road moments are captured by the fans who saw them happen.

Customer Reviews

A Fitting Finale
Following on in the winning formula of his epic 'Manchester The Greatest City', the highly acclaimed author and Official Manchester City Football Club Historian Gary James has rolled up his sleeves once more and has produced yet another fabulous football book for all to treasure and enjoy. 'Farewell to Maine Road' is not only a must for all Manchester City supporters, it is also an essential for all football fans who possess a genuine interest and passion for the history of our great British past time. It catalogues the birth, evolution and ultimate decline of what was once England's premier and revolutionary provincial football stadium; Maine Road, Moss Side, Manchester M14. Soon to be demolished into oblivion, Maine Road is vividly remembered in all its former glory in this classic portal to the past. Beautifully written with the knowledge and passion you would expect from a lifelong Moss Side Pilgrim, the book provides a definitive literate and graphic illustration of Maine Road's long and varied history. It contains a rich tapestry of previously unpublished photographs, one of which, a unique atmospheric shot of the famous 'Ballet on Ice' (a famous Manchester City V Spurs clash in the late sixties), is arguably worth the cost of the book on it's own. Having consumed and digested every morsel of information contained within, it is difficult for me to imagine how much painstaking work and dedication it must take to produce and compile a book of such quality. Whilst they continue to produce triumphs such as this, the marriage of Gary James and Polar Publishing is truly one made in a Sky Blue Heaven. This 320-page masterpiece has pushed the boundaries of football publications to a new and higher level and has already prompted tears of nostalgia in my eyes. But don't take my word for it, sign up a copy and see for yourself, you'll not be disappointed.

Great Read
This is a mammoth sized book with lots of great Maine Road related stories and photos. I couldn't believe it when I saw the stuff included. There's features on City from every period, including the first games at the new stadium. I particularly liked the stories from the last few years and, of course, the sixties and seventies, but the early stuff is intriguing as well. Where did they get all those photos and stories of Maine Road being built from?
Great book - It's the best investment I've ever made for a book!