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HomeFootballPremier LeagueForgotten Manchester United stadium before Old Trafford now an indoor BMX arena

Forgotten Manchester United stadium before Old Trafford now an indoor BMX arena

Old Trafford is arguably the most iconic stadium in the world, and it has been Manchester United’s home since 1910.

The ground is legendary and has played host to many of football’s most memorable and historic moments over the years.

Man United have played their home games at Old Trafford for over 100 years

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Man United have played their home games at Old Trafford for over 100 yearsCredit: Getty

But as time ticks by, Old Trafford is only getting older and Man United are looking to move out of their world-famous venue.

Plans were revealed earlier this year for a groundbreaking 100,000-seater new stadium, which would become their new home.

The £2billion project will likely spell the end of Old Trafford and all of the incredible history that comes with it.

The stadium is synonymous with Man United, but its fame has led to a previous ground being completely forgotten.

READ MORE ON MAN UNITED

Before Old Trafford, United played at Bank Street Stadium.

The club, which was founded under the name Newton Heath in 1878, started playing at North Road before they were evicted in 1893.

And it was a move to their new home on Bank Street in Clayton, Manchester, that followed in that year.

The actual name of the stadium was the Bradford and Clayton Athletic Ground, as it was owned by the Bradford and Clayton Athletic Company.

United, who were still known as Newton Heath at the time, played their first game at the stadium in September 1893 in front of 10,000 supporters.

The club had built two stands, with one behind the goal and the other on the side of the pitch, and they became known as the Bradford End and the Clayton End.

A plaque still marks the former location

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A plaque still marks the former locationCredit: YouTube

Over the next few years, Bank Street continued to expand with a new 2,000-seater stand added in 1895.

However, further expansion plans were delayed due to financial trouble until John Henry Davies saved the club.

Davies invested money into United to save them from collapse, with the club bottom of the old Second Division at the time.

The businessman paid for another stand of 1,000 seats, and over the next few years, the capacity flew up.

The Bank Street stadium eventually included the first-ever covered stand in England and had a total capacity of over 50,000.

That feat was achieved in 1906, and then four years later, United moved out and started life at Old Trafford.

Man United made the move from Bank Street Stadium to Old Trafford in 1910

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Man United made the move from Bank Street Stadium to Old Trafford in 1910Credit: Getty

What happened to Bank Street Stadium?

Sadly, after Man United’s move away from the stadium, Bank Street went on to be demolished in the 1990s.

In the 80 years between the ground move and demolition, it had been used for industrial purposes.

Now, it has been turned into an indoor BMX arena.

The building is now home to the National Cycling Centre, which has a velodrome and BMX arena inside.

There is also an outdoor mountain bike trail outside the venue.

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On top of that, it also includes offices for British Cycling – the national governing body for cycling in Great Britain.

The old Bank Street stadium site is just over a mile from Manchester City‘s state-of-the-art Etihad campus.

It represents a major part of Man United’s history, but it is also often forgotten about due to Old Trafford’s fame.

And the club’s time at the stadium also highlights ex-owner Davies’ impact on their success today.

Plans for the 100,000-seater venue were unveiled in March

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Plans for the 100,000-seater venue were unveiled in MarchCredit: Manchester United

Man United new stadium

United went from 10,000 to 50,000 seats on Bank Street before making the move to Old Trafford.

And they continue to play in front of the largest club crowd in the Premier League, with 74,879 fans in the stands.

Read More on talkSPORT

Should Sir Jim Ratcliffe‘s plans go ahead, too, then that could still increase again to an incredible 100,000 in the future.

The Red Devils revealed plans to rebuild Old Trafford earlier this year as part of a £2billion project and are bidding to host the final of the 2035 Women’s World Cup.

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