My Ground Tour
Recently on holiday in the Midlands I took a trip to Old
Traffod as it was much nearer from where I was staying to where I
live in Swansea. The cost of the Museum & Ground tour is
£5.50 (adults) £3.50 (child/oap) or you can just vistit the
Museum for £2.95 (adults) £1.95 (child/oap) The tour lasts 1
1/2 hours and takes you through every part of the ground.
You begin the tour in the Press Lounge, where you get told about
united's history and facts, this is also where united make their
new signings and hold press conferences.
Next you get taken out onto the South stand where you get to view
the new 3-tier North stand. You then get told information about
the North stand such as it cost £18.65 million to build and
holds 25,110 spectators alone! Altough it has cost the club over
£18m to build, it had already paid for its self by the begining
of the 97-98 season! You are then show the disabled section which
one of the biggest in the country, and the family stand situated
at the far corner of the South stand joining the Stretford End.
You are next taken to the Control Room, this is where all the
aspects of crowd safety and security are controlled. The room
contains 27 screens linked to 23 cameras inside the stadium.
These cameras have the ability to zoom in to any one seat in the
ground so that everone can be watched. This room also controls
the number of people inside the ground and has the ability to
shut anyone of the many gates around the ground.
You are then taken to the Old Tunnel the only part that is left
of the original stadium which was buit in 1910 the rest was
demolished in the air raid in 1941. The tunnel was used untill
1993 but has been kept for historical reasons.
You are then taken down to the pitch I noticed that there is a
considerable slope from the center of the pitch to the edge, this
is to help the drainage of rain water. You then go up on to the
dug-out which is above the old tunnel and can sit on the manger's
seat where he would watch the game from.
You then go back through the tunnel and in to the Players Lounge
which is opposite the dressing room, inside there is a large
International Honours Board which shows you the number of
international caps the players have won while playing for united.
Along the walls there are photo's of all the previous captains
such as Bobby Charlton and Eric Cantona. Three hours before a
game starts the players are taken into the players lounge where
they are given a pre-match meal, this consists of chicken, pasta
or fish. The players then relax untill they are taken into the
dressing room about an hour before the match starts. While a game
is in progress the players wives and guests are entertained in
the players lounge and after the match a free bar is opened so
they can have a drink with the players.
You then cross the corridor and enter the Dressing Room, this is
large enough to accommodate twenty two players, it is only in the
dressing room the team sheet is read out and the players know if
they are playing. The facilities include a large spa pool, two
small baths (I thought there would be afew more!!) six showers
and toilets and a warm-up room.
You then end the tour by walking down the players tunnel which
was finished in 1993. It is much larger than the old tunnel and
has a large tent-like cover over it so when it is fully extended
it is designed to protect the players as they run onto the pitch.
From here you also have one of the best views of Old Trafford and
you are left to take many photos as this is the end of the tour.
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