8 Unusual Facts about Manchester United's Theatre of Dreams
Oh hi there, Man United fans!
You Red Devils might be familiar with every little statistic there is to know about the Manchester United team and their players, like how many goals Rooney has scored in his career to date, or how many FA Cups the team has won, but I bet ya didn't know these quirky little tidbits about your team's stadium, Old Trafford.
1. If you can see the pitch, you can't drink. If you do, you'll be fined and put in Man U jail. Simple as that. I suppose they figured this will keep the aggression and violence levels at bay and prevent any under-the-influence-riots from happening. And to go one step further to assist with this prevention, the beer bottles served at the stadium are all made of a squishy, flexible plastic.
2. If you have a chance to go to a game and manage to sneak into a seat closer to the pitch, and someone comes along and tells you you're sitting in their seat, but you respond with "I don't see your name on it"; well my friend, it probably is.
Dedicated fans who have purchased season tickets for 25+ years for the same seats, year after year, are honoured by Manchester United by having their names printed onto little silver plaques on the underside of their seats.
3. The pitch is made up of 97% turf (artificial grass) and 3% real grass.
4. Old Trafford officially opened its doors in February of 1910. Entrance fees were equal to 2.5 pence (4 cents USD) for uncovered seats, 5-10 pence (7-15 cents USD) for covered seats, and 25 pence (36 cents USD) for covered, plush seating.
5. Heaters are installed under the pitch to help melt snow and to ensure there is no build up of frost on the field during the winter.
6. The Theatre of Dreams was bombed during World War II. A German bombing raid in December of 1940 forced Manchester United to postpone matches and change locations, but the bombing of March 1941 destroyed most of the stadium. During reconstruction after the war was over, the team played their home games at Maine Road, home of Manchester City, until Old Trafford was finished being built.
Happy as a clam, walking the grounds of the almighty Red Devils.
7. Old Trafford holds over 75,000 seats. Of those, 73% are taken by season ticket holders, making it difficult for new or international fans to get their hands - or should I say butts - on seats. Click here to find out how to get yourself some tickets.
8. Manchester United loves their fans SO much (and vice versa), that they allow ashes to be sprinkled on the pitch. This area of the pitch, located at the North end, is never dug up for this reason. This is also why you might see a wreath or a bouquet of flowers set along the North end of the stadium during a match.
So there you have it, 8 unusual facts about Manchester United's stadium, Old Trafford. Although my husband has been an avid Manchester United Fan since before dinosaurs, these quirky little tidbits all took him by surprise when we learned of them during our stadium tour through the Theatre of Dreams, which you can read about here.