Sportcity facts for kids
Sportcity is a big sports area in Manchester, England. It was built to host the 2002 Commonwealth Games. You can find it in east Manchester, about a mile from the city centre. This area used to be old industrial land, including a coal mine called Bradford Colliery.
The biggest building at Sportcity is the City of Manchester Stadium. It was built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Now, it is the home stadium for Manchester City F.C., one of England's biggest football teams. Sportcity also has the Manchester Velodrome, which is the main training place for British Cycling. The National Indoor BMX Arena was finished in 2011. You can also find the National Squash Centre and the Manchester Regional Arena for athletics here. In the future, Manchester City plans to build a large training complex and a fun leisure area.
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Where is Sportcity and What's There?
The Sportcity complex is located in the areas of Beswick and Bradford in east Manchester. There's a visitor centre where you can learn about the area's history. It tells the story of how this place changed from a busy industrial area to the sports hub it is today. You can easily get to Sportcity by tram, as the Etihad Campus tram stop opened nearby in 2013.
Sportcity was once considered for a very large casino, but this idea was not approved. There was also a plan to build a tall wind turbine here in 2006. It was designed by a famous architect named Norman Foster. The turbine was meant to power the stadium and nearby homes. However, people worried about ice falling from the blades, so the plan was stopped.
The City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium was first used for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Today, it is the home ground for Manchester City Football Club. The stadium is a famous landmark in Manchester. It has twelve tall masts, each 70 metres high, and can hold over 55,000 fans. The football club rents the stadium from Manchester City Council. The club plans to make the stadium even bigger, hoping to fit 60,000 people by adding more seats to the north and south stands.
The National Cycling Centre
The National Cycling Centre is a special place for all kinds of cycling. It includes the Manchester Velodrome, the National Indoor BMX Arena, and even areas for mountain bike training.
The Manchester Velodrome
The Manchester Velodrome was built in the 1990s when Manchester hoped to host the Olympic Games. It was also used for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. This velodrome has become very important for British cycling. For example, at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the British cycling team, who train here, won many medals. The track is known for being very fast. By 2008, more than 15 world records had been set there. This includes Chris Boardman's famous hour records and a team pursuit record set by the Great Britain men's team.
The National BMX Arena
The National Indoor BMX Centre opened in 2011. It was built through a partnership between British Cycling, Manchester City Council, and New East Manchester. This modern centre is part of the National Cycling Centre, alongside the velodrome. It has 2,000 seats for spectators and a large BMX area. It also serves as the main office for the British Cycling Federation.
The Manchester Regional Arena
The Manchester Regional Arena is a stadium at Sportcity used for different sports. It is mainly used for athletics and football. It was originally built as a warm-up track for athletes during the 2002 Commonwealth Games. It is right next to the City of Manchester Stadium. The arena has hosted important athletics events, like the AAA Championships and the Paralympic World Cup.
The National Squash Centre
The National Squash Centre is another part of the Sportcity complex built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. It cost about £3.5 million to build. The centre has six squash courts. One of them is a special glass-walled show court that cost £110,000. This show court is amazing because it can move! It floats on air, like a hovercraft. This means it can be moved into the athletics hall for big tournaments. All the courts can also be changed to be used for single players or doubles teams with just the push of a button.
Future Plans for Sportcity
Manchester City Football Club has big plans for the Sportcity area. In 2010, they made an agreement with Manchester City Council to explore new ideas for the land. The club wants to move its youth academy to this site. This new training facility will cost £50 million and will be a home for all the club's players, from young talents to the main team. Work on preparing the land around the stadium began in April 2010.
A company called Jack Rouse Associates, which owns Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, might help develop the area. They have shown ideas for a mixed-use development that would combine different types of buildings and activities.
