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MANCHESTER CITY OWNERS BUY LOCAL PUB FOR FANS
DAILY STAR SUNDAY


18th July 2010
By Charles Yates



MANCHESTER City fans revel in their team being the world’s richest club. Now they can boast they also own the world’s richest PUB.

For the club has paid around £100,000 to snap up former Blues legend Mike ­Summerbee’s run-down boozer in the shadow of its Eastlands stadium.


The pub is called The Maine Road after City’s former home before their controversial move to rent the 47,726-seater former Commonwealth Games stadium from Manchester City Council.


When the team was taken over by Abu Dhabi United Group less than two years ago City fans, who had struggled for decades without success, were delighted.


The leading player in the new ownership group is Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family whose fabulous wealth is estimated at about £560billion.
But with owners coming from the “dry” United Arab Emirates the last thing City fans expected was for their club to fork out for a boozer.


One world-weary City fan, store worker Barry Richardson, 49, of Stockport, Cheshire, said: “Now when people call us bitter Blues it’ll be because the club owns a pub that will probably serve the best bitter on the planet.


“We’re already telling United fans that when they put petrol into their cars they are paying the wages of our players as most of the sheikh’s money comes from oil.


“And we’d love it if when the Reds have a pint of beer they’re also contributing to the future success of City.


“We’ve waited a long time for enduring success. Now we’re finally getting there.”


His pal, council worker Chris Burnett, 54, said: “It would be perfect for the launch party if the sheikh could get Liam and Noel Gallagher together again for an Oasis gig.


“It would probably be the best launch party on the planet and we’d all love it.”

I drove past it the other day too, thinking it was a shame that it's closed down and in a bit of a state, so will be good if this is true... then again this is in The Star, so could be a complete load of bollocks!

"controversial move to rent the 47,726-seater former Commonwealth Games stadium"

What was 'controversial' about this move??!?

LookMumI'mOnMCF.net wrote:"controversial move to rent the 47,726-seater former Commonwealth Games stadium"

What was 'controversial' about this move??!?

it broke Britain

Great move...and with 47,000 pissed up Blues every game, that should solve any turnover problems we may have had.

A better move would be to buy the Trafford, Bishop Blaise and Samuel Platts...serve the rags piss poor ale and charge em a fortune for the pleasure of funding our coffers and contributing to our Council House...that would reeeeally piss em off. We could also buy out the company that has the catering franchise at the swamp.

Have been in there a couple of times, handy if running late and arriving at that side of the ground - very true when they say its delapadated, walls were like a river and it was wetter inside than out, a propper pub! :-)

But with owners coming from the “dry” U***d Arab Emirates the last thing City fans expected was for their club to fork out for a boozer.

The UAE is hardly "dry" as those fans who came to Abu Dhabi last October will testify !

Have never had a pint there yet. I guess I must sort that out during next season!

I think there will be a survey about matchday experience in the pub!

"controversial move to rent the 47,726-seater former Commonwealth Games stadium"

Wasn't controversial and it didn't have that capacity when it was the commonwealth stadium. Fuckin shit journos getting it all twisted as usual.

Socrates wrote:

LookMumI'mOnMCF.net wrote:"controversial move to rent the 47,726-seater former Commonwealth Games stadium"

What was 'controversial' about this move??!?

it broke Britain

It ruined football

Apparently I won't be buying a pint there afterall:
http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1302241_city_call_time_on_talk_of_football_superpub

It is Manchester City’s latest signing – but fans will not be raising a glass in celebration.

The mega-rich Blues sparked rumours of a ‘superpub’ when it emerged that they had bought the run-down Maine Road boozer near the stadium at Eastlands.

We can reveal the premises – once owned by City legend Mike Summerbee and named after City’s former home – will NOT be reopening its doors in its former capacity.

Instead it will be gutted and renovated before reopening as a place for media to pick up press passes and a store for stewards and match-day staff.

The purchase is part of plans to improve the former Commonwealth Games stadium in time for the new season.

It is thought the Blues shelled out around £100,000 for the premises, on Rowsley Street.

Reports claimed the site was set to become ‘the richest pub on the planet’. Some even claimed rock star City fans Oasis could reform for a gig in the venue.

A club spokesman said the pub had been bought as part of plans to enhance the matchday experience for next season.

The spokesman added: “The building will become an­ ­accreditation centre that will support the stadium’s administrative event operation, as part of our improved match-day ­experience.”

The Blues have picked up the pub from Allied Irish bank, who were acting as receiver. Its history can be traced back to 1872.

Wouldnt leave The Townley anyway,we can run that alley in minutes.

Isnt The Maine Road the really small pub right next to the reserves ground?? If so, seems way to small to be bothering spending all that money on it anyways!!