Manchester City Football Club was first formed in 1880, their first name was West Gorton, and they played on waste ground just off Clowes Street. The following year they moved to another ground and played their games at Kirkmanshulme Cricket Club, later called the Paddock Sports Ground.

The West Gorton club seemed to disappear at around that time. They were replaced in 1884 by what was, fundamentally a new team-Gorton Association Club. Their home ground was an area named Donkey Common. After only a short time at Donkey Common, Gorton Association Club changed grounds returning to Pink Bank Lane, not to the Kirkmanshulme Cricket ground but to a field opposite. By 1887 the team had more ambitious plans and the club’s captain stumbled across a good location for a properly enclosed football ground.

This site was situated between the Manchester-Sheffield Railway line and Bennett Street in West Gorton. This land was owned by the railway company who let it to the football club initially at a cost of £10 for a seven-month period. So the move to what was known as the ‘Hyde Road’ ground was organised.

The change of venue brought with it another name-change, they were now known as Ardwick Football Club this came about after a meeting at the Hyde Road Hotel between one of the founder members of the original West Gorton Club and the former captain of the team.

Within two years the club turned professional, although, it is said that for quite some time, only one member of the team received payment. They were in dire straits financially, poor management was blamed; sadly the club folded, and then revived again but this time as a limited company. The name of the revived team was Manchester City Football Club.

The development of the Hyde Road ground was somewhat sporadic and during the early years the team had to use the facilities of a nearby public house, and walk to the ground. However the ground was eventually developed into a 40,000 capacity ground. Though not an ideal shape it was a complicated network of seating and standing areas in five blocks. In 1913 a cup-tie match with Sunderland had to be abandoned due to overcrowding in the ground!

In 1920 the club was honoured when King George V put in an appearance as a spectator at Hyde Road for a match between Manchester City v Liverpool. Later that year the North-side stand, a timber structure was burnt to the ground because of a carelessly discarded cigarette.

The fire led to a determined effort to find a more suitable and larger ground. After 37 years at Hyde Road, a site in Moss side was chosen and by the summer of 1923 it was completed, with a capacity for 90,000 spectators.

Maine Road served as Manchester City’s home ground for 80years and no doubt there are many stories to be told about this.

Four name changes, several relocations and 123 years later Manchester City has moved again! Situated in East Manchester, The City of Manchester Stadium, which started life as the Commonwealth games venue in 2002. Is now Manchester City Football Club’s permanent home.

If you have any funny stories or memories of ‘City’s days at Maine Road please let us know.