The City of Manchester Stadium has a UEFA standard dimension pitch, . It has a natural grass pitch reinforced with artificial grass fibres made by Desso. There are 218 floodlights in the stadium. Each uses 2000 watts. In total they use 436,000 watts when they are all on.
The stadium is the centrepiece of an area known as Sportcity. It also includes several other sporting venues. Next to the stadium is the "Manchester Regional Arena". The Arena served as a warm-up track during the Commonwealth Games. It is now a 6,178 capacity venue that hosts national athletics trials and Manchester City reserve team games. The Manchester Velodrome and the National Squash Centre are close to the stadium. In September 2006, Manchester City received planning permission to build an wind turbine at the stadium. Designed by Norman Foster, the turbine was meant to give power for the stadium and nearby homes. Safety concerns about ice on the blades led to the proposal being stopped. From 2005 to 2009 a Thomas Heatherwick sculpture, "B of the Bang", was present in front of the stadium. Built to honor the success of the 2002 Commonwealth Games, it was the tallest sculpture in the UK. However, structural problems led to the sculpture being taken apart in 2009.
On 30 January 2007, it was announced that the UK's first Super Casino would be built in the Sportcity area close to the stadium.
Plans for this have since been stopped. It did receive authorisation from the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
Many people called The 2002 Commonwealth Games a huge success with the stadium gaining positive reviews for its atmosphere and architectural design.
The City of Manchester Stadium has won a number of design awards. This includes the 2004 Royal Institute of British Architects Inclusive Design Award for inclusive building design, and the 2003 Institution of Structural Engineers Structural Special Award.
Manchester City's reaction to the stadium was a mix of positive and negative. Some fans were not too excited about moving from the famous Maine Road, Maine Road had a reputation for having a great atmosphere and character. Others were happy about the bigger stadium and move back to east Manchester where Manchester City formed. A 2007 Premier League fan poll found that fans thought views at the stadium were second best in the Premier League after the Emirates Stadium. But the stadium had a problem common in modern stadia; the atmosphere was rated as second lowest in the league by City fans. Fans of opposing teams have generally given positive feedback. The stadium came in second behind Old Trafford in a 2005 poll to find the United Kingdom's favourite football ground.
The City of Manchester Stadium is to the east of Manchester city centre. The stadium site itself has 2,000 parking spaces. Another 8,000 spaces in the area around the stadium are provided by local businesses and schools working with the football club. The nearest railway station is Ashburys. It is a 20-minute walk south of the stadium. Services are limited due to the small size of the station. Manchester Piccadilly, which serves mainline trains from London, Birmingham and Edinburgh, is a 30-minute walk away. Several special bus services serve the stadium when events take place.
An extension to the Metrolink tram system with a stop at the stadium was announced in 2000. However, after a government spending review, the plan was put on hold in July 2004. In July 2006, funding for the extension was reinstated, but for a shorter length. A Sportcity Metrolink station opened on 11 February 2013.
Outside the football season, the stadium hosts concerts. It is one of the UK's largest music venues. It has a maximum capacity of 60,000 for performances. The first concert at the stadium was a performance by the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2004. They were supported by James Brown. Local band and vocal Manchester City supporters, Oasis, have played concerts at the stadium. One of their shows was featured on their DVD "Lord Don't Slow Me Down". Another Manchester act, Take That, also released a DVD of their performance at the stadium, "".
Other artists who have played the stadium are U2, Rod Stewart, Foo Fighters supported by Manic Street Preachers and The Futureheads, Bon Jovi & George Michael.
In June 2018, Taylor Swift played the first of her UK ‘Reputation Stadium Tour' over two nights.
Summer activities such as concerts and boxing matches often tear up the pitch. In 2008, end-of-season fixes, along with an early start to the football season, meant the pitch was not ready in time for the first scheduled home game. Because of this, Manchester City played their UEFA Cup first round qualifying match at Barnsley's Oakwell Stadium.
Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage is a football stadium in the Hammersmith area of London, England. It is the home ground of Fulham F.C. It is called Craven Cottage after the cottage in the corner of the stadium.
Emirates Stadium
The Emirates Stadium is a football stadium in London, England. It is the home stadium of Arsenal F.C. It is named after the airline Emirates.
The stadium was built from 2004 to 2006. It replaced Highbury Stadium which had only 38,419 seats and was too small for the need of modern football.
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in Blackburn, England. It is the home stadium of Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Crushcrushcrush
Crushcrushcrush is a single released by Pop rock band Paramore from their second album RIOT!
In the music video you can see the band performing. They are some spies also and it plays on the lyric "They taped over your mouth scribbled out the truth with their lies you little spies"
Crushcrushcrush is a download in Rock Band.
Beechworth
Beechworth is a town in north-east Victoria, Australia., It was first settled in the gold rush of the mid-1850s. At the 2006 census, 3227 people lived in Beechworth.
Beechworth has many old buildings which have been well looked after. The town has changed from a gold field to a popular place for people to visit. Wine making is also an important activity around Beechworth.
The area was first used as a cattle farm by David Reid and was called Mayday Hills. In 1853 it was renamed Beechworth.
From 1852-1857, Beechworth was an important gold area. Thousands of people moved to the area to dig for gold. One group of miners found 14 lb (about 7 kg) of gold in one gold pan (a small metal dish used separate gold from the soil). Another group found 50 lb (approx. 25 kg) of gold in a week. In the first election in 1855, one candidate, Daniel Cameron, rode a horse with solid gold horse shoes through the main street. This event is the reason the logo for Beechworth is a golden horse shoe, and the ride is remembered every year with the Golden Horseshoe Festival.
Beechworth was a long way from the centre of colonial government in Melbourne, both in distance and time taken to get there. The railway was built to Beechworth in September 1876. By this time the miners had found most of the gold, and the town was no longer important. The rail line was closed in 1977 and the tracks were taken away, after 101 years of service. The rail line is now used as a walking and bicycle path.
In the gold rush, Beechworth had a tannery, jewelers, boot makers, a brewery, blacksmiths, and farm animal sale yards. It had schools, a convent, hotels, a prison with high stone walls, a hospital, a mental hospital, courthouse, police station, stage coach companies and a gunpowder magazine (building for storing gunpowder).