Old Trafford

Lore & Background

Nicknamed 'The Theatre of Dreams' by Bobby Charlton, Old Trafford has been United's home ground since 1910, although from 1941 to 1949 the club shared Maine Road with local rivals Manchester City due to the Blitz. The stadium's record attendance was recorded in 1939, when 76,962 spectators watched the FA Cup semi-final between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Grimsby Town. The first goal at Old Trafford was scored by Sandy Turnbull for Manchester United in a 4–3 loss to Liverpool on 19 February 1910.

Reader's Guide

Old Trafford has hosted an FA Cup Final, two final replays and was regularly used as a neutral venue for the competition's semi-finals. It has also hosted England fixtures, and matches at the 1966 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 1996, the 2012 Summer Olympics and UEFA Women's Euro 2022. The stadium also hosted the 2003 Champions League Final. Outside football, the stadium is used occasionally for rugby league, including the Super League Grand Final and four editions of the Rugby League World Cup.

Did You Know?

• Old Trafford was designed by Scottish architect Archibald Leitch with an original intended capacity of 100,000, later reduced to about 80,000.
• During the Second World War, German bombing raids in 1940 and 1941 severely damaged the stadium, forcing United to play at Maine Road until 1949.