• Major sporting events hosted • • • • (2008 world title) • •,, • Also see: Website The City of Manchester Stadium in, England, also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is the home ground of and with a domestic football capacity of 55,097, the in the and in the United Kingdom. Built to host the, the stadium has since staged the,, matches, a world title fight, the England team's last match of the and music concerts.

The stadium, originally proposed as an athletics arena in for the, was converted after the 2002 Commonwealth Games from a 38,000 capacity arena to a 48,000 seat football stadium at a cost to the city council of £22 million and to Manchester City of £20 million. Manchester City F.C. Agreed to lease the stadium from and moved there from in the summer of 2003. The stadium was built by at a cost of £112 million and was designed and engineered by, whose design incorporated a cable-stayed roof structure which is separated from the main stadium bowl and suspended entirely by twelve exterior masts and attached cables. The stadium design has received much praise and many accolades, including an award from the in 2004 for its innovative inclusive building design and a from the for its unique structural design. In August 2015, a 7,000 seat third tier on the South Stand was completed, in time for the start of the 2015–16 football season. The expansion was designed to be in keeping with the existing roof design.

See also:,, and Plans to build a new stadium in Manchester were formulated before 1989 as part of the city's bid to host the. Manchester City Council submitted a bid that included a design for an 80,000-capacity stadium on a site west of Manchester city centre. The bid failed and hosted the Games. Four years later the city council bid to host the, but this time focusing on a site 1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi) east of the city centre on derelict land that was the site of, known colloquially as Eastlands. The council's shift in focus was driven by emerging government legislation on, promising vital support funding for such projects; the government became involved in funding the purchase and clearance of the Eastlands site in 1992.

The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England, also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is the home ground of Manchester City Football Club. Statistical Techniques Statistical Mechanics.

For the February 1993 bid the city council submitted another 80,000-capacity stadium design produced by design consultants, the firm that helped select the Eastlands site. On 23 September 1993, the games were awarded to Sydney, but the following year Manchester submitted the same scheme design to the as a 'Millennium Stadium', only to have this proposal rejected. Undeterred, Manchester City Council subsequently bid to host the, once again proposing the same site along with downsized stadium plans derived from the 2000 Olympics bid, and this time were successful. In 1996, this same planned stadium competed with to gain funding to become the new, but the money was used to redevelop Wembley. After successful athletics events at the Commonwealth Games, conversion into a football venue was criticised by athletics figures such as and as, at the time, the United Kingdom still lacked plans for a large athletics venue due to the capability of installing an athletics track having been dropped from the designs for a rebuilt Wembley Stadium. Had either of the two larger stadium proposals developed by Arup been agreed for funding, then Manchester would have ended up with a venue capable of being adapted to hosting large-scale athletics events through the use of.

Sport England wished to avoid creating a, so they insisted that the City Council agree to undertake and fund extensive work to convert CoMS from a track and field arena to a football stadium, thereby ensuring its long-term financial viability. Sport England hoped either Manchester City Council or Manchester City F.C. Would provide the extra £50 million required to convert the stadium to a 65,000 seater athletics and footballing venue with movable seating. However, Manchester City Council did not have the money to facilitate movable seating and Manchester City were lukewarm about the idea. Stadium architects Arup Sport believed history demonstrated that maintaining a rarely used athletics track often does not work with football – and cited examples such as the and the with both and moving to new stadiums less than 40 years after inheriting them. 2002 Commonwealth Games [ ]. Of 80,000-seat stadium used in 2000 Olympic Bid.

The proposed stadium was a larger design of CoMS, with more access ramps and masts. The stadium's foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister in December 1999, and construction began in January 2000. The stadium was designed by and constructed by at a cost of approximately £112 million, £77 million of which was provided by, with the remainder funded by Manchester City Council.

For the Commonwealth Games, the stadium featured a single lower tier of seating running around three sides of the athletics track, and second tiers to the two sides, with an open-air temporary stand at the northern end; initially providing a seating capacity for the Games of 38,000, subsequently extended to 41,000 through the installation of additional temporary trackside seating along the east and south stands. The first public event at the stadium was the opening ceremony of the 2002 Commonwealth Games on 25 July 2002. Among the dignitaries present was who made a speech, delivered to her in an, and 'declared the Commonwealth Games open'.

During the following ten days of competition, the stadium hosted the events and all the matches. Sixteen new Commonwealth Games track and field records (six men's and ten women's) were set in the stadium, eight of which (three men's and five women's records) are after three subsequent series of Games in, and. Prior to the held in London, the 2002 Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be staged in the United Kingdom, eclipsing the earlier London in numbers of teams and competing athletes (3,679), and it was the world's first multi-sport tournament to include a limited number of full medal events for elite athletes with a disability (EAD). In terms of number of participating nations, it is still the largest Commonwealth Games in history, featuring 72 nations competing in 281 events across seventeen (fourteen individual and three team) sports.

Stadium conversion [ ]. Sections of the track were removed and relaid at other athletics venues, and the internal ground level was lowered to make way for an additional tier of seating, on terracing already constructed then buried for the original configuration. The three temporary stands with a total capacity of 16,000 were dismantled, and replaced with a permanent structure of similar design to the existing one at the southern end. This work took nearly a year to complete and added 23,000 permanent seats, increasing the capacity of the converted stadium by 7,000 to approximately 48,000. Manchester City F.C. Moved to the ground in time for the start of the.

The total cost of this conversion was in excess of £40 million, with the track, pitch and seating conversion being funded by the city council at a cost of £22 million; and the installation of bars, restaurants and corporate entertainment areas throughout the stadium being funded by the football club at a cost of £20 million. The Games had made a small operating surplus, and Sport England agreed that this could be reinvested in converting the athletics warm-up track adjacent to the main stadium into the 6,000 seat at a cost of £3.5 million. Stadium expansion [ ].

South Stand after expansion in 2015 The stadium is owned by Manchester City Council and leased by the football club. The 2008 takeover made the football club one of the wealthiest in the world, prompting suggestions that it could consider buying the stadium outright. Manchester City signed an agreement with Manchester City Council in March 2010 to allow a £1 billion redevelopment led by architect. During the 2010 closed season the football pitch and hospitality areas were renovated, with a £1 million investment being made in the playing surface so that it is better able to tolerate concerts and other events without damage. In October 2010, Manchester City renegotiated the stadium lease, obtaining the naming rights to the stadium in return for agreeing to now pay the City Council an annual fixed sum of £3 million where previously it had only paid half of the ticket sales revenue from match attendances exceeding 35,000.

This new agreement occurred as part of a standard five-year review of the original lease and it amounts to an approximate £1 million annual increase in council revenues from the stadium. During 2011–14, the club sold all 36,000 of its allocated season tickets each season and experienced an average match attendance that is very close to its maximum seating capacity (see table in previous section). Consequently, during the 2014–15 season, an expansion of the stadium was undertaken. The South Stand was extended with the addition of a third tier which, in conjunction with an additional three rows of pitch side seating, increased stadium capacity to approximately 55,000. Construction commenced on the South Stand in April 2014 and was completed for the start of the 2015–16 season.

A final phase of expansion, that received planning approval at the same time as the others but which remains unscheduled, will add a matching third tier of seats to the North Stand. Once this last phase is completed it will bring the stadium's total seating capacity up to approximately 61,000, making the Etihad Stadium the nation's second largest capacity club ground. Rear view of the South Stand in 2015.

Two sets of masts and steel cabling suspend both the new South Stand roof and the catenary cable supporting roofs on the other three sides When planning the development, Manchester City Council required a sustainable landmark structure that would be an icon for the regeneration of the once heavily industrialised site surrounding Bradford Colliery, as well as providing spectators with good sightlines in an atmospheric arena. Arup Associates designed the stadium to be 'an intimate, even intimidating, gladiatorial arena embodying the atmosphere of a football club' with the pitch six metres below ground level, a feature of Roman gladiatorial arenas and. The attention to detail, often absent in stadium design, has been remarked upon, including the cigar-shaped roof supports with blue lighting beacons, sculpted rainwater gutters, poly-carbonate perimeter roof edging and openable louvres to aid pitch grass growth with similarities also made to. Iconic roof design [ ] The -shaped stadium roof is held together by a tensioned system, which has been described as 'ground-breaking' by magazine. The stadium's architectural focal point is the sweeping roof and support masts which are separate from the concrete bowl. A catenary cable is situated around the inner perimeter of the roof structure which is tied to the masts via forestay cables. Backstay cables and corner ties from the masts are connected to the ground to support the structure.

With the expansion of the South Stand in 2015 to accommodate a third tier of seating, the original south end roof was dismantled; but with the southern masts and corner ties remaining, so as to continue to tie the catenary cable which now runs below the new roof. The new higher South Stand roof is a separate structure, with its own set of braced masts and cables; and it is expected that a counterpart arrangement will be adopted for the proposed North Stand expansion.

Cables are attached to the twelve masts circling the stadium with rafters and for additional rigid support. The cigar-shaped masts double as visual features, with the highest at 70 metres (230 ft). Access to the upper tiers of seats is provided by eight circular ramps with conical roofs resembling turrets above which eight of the twelve masts rise up providing the support structure for the roof. The roof of the south, east and west stands built for the athletics stadium configuration was supported by the cable net system. The temporary open stand at the north end was built around the masts and tie down cables that would ultimately support the roof of the North Stand. After the games the track and field were excavated. The temporary bleachers at the north end were removed and the North Stand and lower tier of seats constructed on the prepared excavation.

The North Stand roof was completed by adding rafters, purlins and cladding. Facilities and pitch [ ] The stadium has facilities for players and match officials in a basement area below the west stand, which also contains a kitchen providing meals for up to 6,000 people on match days, press rooms, ground staff storage, and a prison cell. The stadium also has conference facilities and is licensed for. Fitting out of the hospitality suites, kitchens, offices, and concourse concessions was accomplished by, and included the installation of the communications cabling and automatic access control system.

The stadium's interior comprises a continuous oval bowl, with three tiers of seating at the sides, and two tiers at each end. Entry by patrons is gained by rather than traditional manned. The system can admit up to 1,200 people per minute through all entrances. A service tunnel under the stadium provides access for emergency vehicles and the visiting team's to enter the stadium directly. Once inside the stadium patrons have access to six, two of which have views of the pitch, and there are 70 above the second tier of seating in the north, west and east stands. The stadium is equip with stand-by generators should there be a electrical mains failure.

These are capable of keeping the stadium electrics running as well as the floodlights at 800, the minimum level stipulated by FIFA to continue to broadcast live football. To create the optimum grass playing surface in the stadium bowl, the roof was designed to maximise sunlight by using a ten-metre band of translucent polycarbonate at its periphery.

Additionally, each of the corners of the stadium without seating have perforated walls with moveable that can be adjusted to provide ventilation of the grass and general airflow through the stadium. Drainage and under-pitch heating were installed to provide optimum growing conditions for the grass. The has a UEFA standard dimension of 105 by 68 metres (115 by 74 yd).

And is covered with natural grass reinforced by made. The field of play is lit by 218 2000-watt floodlights, consuming a total of 436,000 watts. The grass playing surface is recognised as being one of the best in English football, and has been nominated five times in the last nine seasons for best Premier League pitch, an accolade it won in 2010–11 among other awards.

Main entrance to Colin Bell Stand on west side of stadium The stadium was named the City of Manchester Stadium by Manchester City Council before construction began in December 1999, but has a number of commonly used alternatives. City of Manchester Stadium is abbreviated to CoMS when written and spoken. Eastlands refers to the site and the stadium before they were named SportCity and CoMS respectively, and remains in common usage for both the stadium and the whole complex, as does SportCity but with less frequency. The stadium was also officially referred to as Manchester City Stadium for the. The football club, under its new ownership, renegotiated its 250-year lease with the city council in October 2010, gaining the naming rights in return for a substantial increase in rent.

The stadium was renamed the Etihad Stadium by the club in July 2011 as part of a ten-year agreement with the team kit sponsors. The agreement encompasses sponsorship of the stadium's name, extends the team kit sponsorship for ten years, and includes plans to relocate the club's youth academy and training facilities to the City Football Academy on a new campus development adjacent to the stadium. Despite being a continuous oval bowl, each side of the stadium is named in the manner of a traditional football ground. All sides were initially named by compass direction (North Stand and South Stand for the ends, East Stand and West Stand for the sides). In February 2004, after a vote by fans, the West Stand was renamed the Stand in honour of the former player. The vote was almost cancelled (and the stand instead named after ) due to suspicions it had been hijacked by rival fans who wished to dub the renamed stand The Bell End.

However, core supporters of the club made it clear they still wished the stand named after their hero. The East Stand is unofficially known by fans as as a tribute to the very vocal east stand at the club's ground.

The North Stand is the only part of the stadium built after the Commonwealth Games, during the stadium's conversion. The temporary unroofed north stand it replaced had been dubbed the New Gene Kelly Stand by supporters, a reference to the unroofed corner between the Kippax and the North Stand at the club's former Maine Road home, because, being exposed to the elements, they frequently found themselves 'singing in the rain'. Commencing season 2010–11, seating in the North Stand has been restricted to only supporters accompanied by children, resulting in this end of the ground now being commonly referred to as the Family Stand. Although the North Stand has never been officially renamed and is still frequently referenced that way, most external ticketing offices and stadium guides, in addition to the club itself, now preferentially label and refer to this section of the ground as the Family Stand when discussing seating and ticket sales.

Supporters initially dubbed the South Stand the Scoreboard End (the former name of the North Stand at Maine Road), and it houses the majority of City's more vocal fans. Supporters of visiting teams are also normally allocated seats in this stand. From 2003 to 2006, it was renamed the Stand for sponsorship reasons, though this was largely ignored by regular patrons. Aerial view of CoMS and adjacent Manchester Regional Arena in 2012 The stadium is the centrepiece of, which includes several other nationally important sporting venues. Adjacent to the stadium is the, which served as a warm-up track during the Commonwealth Games and is now a 6,178-capacity venue that hosts national athletics trials, but has previously also hosted the home games of both the Manchester City and the club's. The Regional Arena has regularly hosted the and, and is currently the home ground of amateur rugby league side Manchester Rangers. The and the, which includes both the and the, are all a short distance from the stadium.

The Squash Centre, which has hosted the since 2003 was added to the SportCity complex for the Commonwealth Games along with CoMS. The Velodrome, another showpiece venue used to stage all the events for the Games, was already in place and had been home to, the governing body for cycling in Britain, since it was built in 1994, as part of Manchester’s unsuccessful 2000 Olympics bid. Prior to the completion of the for the 2012 Summer Olympics, the Velodrome had been the only indoor Olympic-standard track in the United Kingdom. The collocated BMX Arena houses the United Kingdom’s only permanent indoor and provides seating for up two thousand spectators. It was added to the National Cycling Centre at SportCity in 2011. Other major sporting and sport-related venues located in SportCity in the immediate vicinity of the Etihad Stadium, all legacies of the 2002 Commonwealth Games are the, west of the stadium, adjacent to the southwest corner of the Regional Arena; the Manchester Regional Tennis Centre, adjacent to the north end of the stadium; and the Manchester Tennis & Football Centre, also adjacent to the stadium, which is operated and administered by the.

Public sculpture [ ]. Colin Spofforth's giant bronze sculpture, The Runner, at SportCity Between 11 March (Commonwealth Day) and 10 August 2002, as part of the preparations for the upcoming Commonwealth Games and to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen's Golden Jubilee, a national Spirit of Friendship Festival was organised. On 9 July, a few weeks before the Games began, a sculpture outside the new national headquarters of the English Institute of Sport at SportCity was unveiled by the middle-distance runner, MBE.

This sculpture, commissioned in late 2001, was created in a little over eight weeks by Altrincham-based artist, Colin Spofforth, who had submitted to Manchester City Council his idea for a heroic-sized sculpture of a sprinter as a means of celebrating the beauty, power and determination of the competing athletes. Reaching thirty feet high, weighing seven tonnes, and titled The Runner, this unique larger-than-life bronze statue of a male sprinter surmounting a bronze globe was, at the time, the United Kingdom's largest sporting sculpture. It depicts the very moment the runner leaves the blocks once the starter's gun has fired. From 2005 to 2009 a sculpture,, was situated to the southeast of the stadium at the junction of Ashton New Road and Alan Turing Way. Built after the Commonwealth Games to commemorate them, it was the tallest sculpture in the United Kingdom.

However, numerous structural problems led to the 184 ft. Sculpture being dismantled in 2009 for safety reasons. In 2014, money recovered by the Manchester City Council as a result of lengthy legal battles consequent to this debacle was used to fund a new £341,000 public sculpture. Action from the 2008 UEFA Cup Final The first public football match at the stadium was a between Manchester City and on 10 August 2003.

Manchester City won the game 2–1, with scoring the first ever in the stadium. The first competitive match followed four days later, a match between Manchester City and side, which City won 5–0 with scoring the first competitive goal in the stadium. Having started the Premier League season with an away match, Manchester City's first home league fixture in the new stadium was on 23 August, a game drawn 1–1 with, with Pompey's scoring the first league goal in the stadium. 2011–12 saw the Etihad Stadium play host to the setting of a number of new club and Premier League footballing records, such as the club becoming the first ever team to win eleven of its opening twelve games in a Premier League season, and going on to remain unbeaten at the Etihad Stadium in all nineteen of the Premier League games played there. The club's record of 55 home points out of a possible 57 at the stadium is a joint best Premier League record, and the club's record of twenty consecutive home wins at the stadium (going back to the end of the previous season) also set a new Premier League record in March 2012. The record football attendance at the stadium not involving its host team Manchester City is 43,878, which was set at the game between and on 14 May 2008.

As is customary for such games, the then 47,715 maximum physical capacity of the stadium had been reduced by UEFA to around 44,000 for this final. However, neither limit would have been able to accommodate the vast number of supporters of the Scottish club, estimated to be in excess of 130,000, that travelled down from Glasgow to Manchester on the day of the game, despite the club's official ticket allocation being just 13,000 and police requests for fans without tickets to stay home. This order of magnitude mismatch between the numbers of traveling fans and those holding tickets ultimately led to a serious in the centre of the city now inextricably associated with this final, despite the fact that the 44,000 or so crowd who watched the game inside the stadium were perfectly well-behaved. Reception [ ] Average Premier League attendances Season Stadium capacity Average attendance% of capacity Ranking within the Premier League 55,097 54,019 98.0% 55,097 54,041 98.1% 46,708 45,365 97.1% 47,405 47,080 99.3% 47,405 46,974 99.1% 47,405 47,045 99.2% 47,405 45,905 96.8% 47,405 45,513 95.4% 47,405 42,900 90.5% 47,715 42,126 88.3% 47,726 39,997 83.8% 47,726 42,856 89.8% 47,726 45,192 94.7% 47,726 46,834 98.1% The 2002 Commonwealth Games were deemed a success and the stadium gained critical acclaim for its atmosphere and architectural design. It has won a number of design awards, including the 2004 Inclusive Design Award for inclusive building design, the 2003 Structural Special Award, and in 2002 a BCI Major Project high commendation was awarded by the. In July 2014, the stadium was declared one of the United Kingdom's five most iconic structures by the.

In 2003, initial reception by Manchester City supporters was polarised, with some lukewarm about moving from which had a reputation for being one of English football's most atmospheric grounds, whilst others were enthusiastic about the bigger stadium and move back to East Manchester where the club was formed. Since 2010, the club has boasted more than 36,000 season ticket holders each season, which is more than the 35,150 maximum capacity of Maine Road just before the club moved homes. A 2007 Premier League survey found that fans thought sight lines at the stadium were the second best in the Premier League after the. Opposition fans have generally given positive feedback, with CoMS coming second to in a 2005 poll to find the United Kingdom's favourite football ground. In 2010, the City of Manchester Stadium was the third most visited stadium after Old Trafford and by overseas visitors. In the early years of Manchester City's tenure, the stadium suffered from a poor atmosphere, a common problem with modern stadia when compared with traditional football grounds such as Maine Road. In the 2007 Premier League survey, Manchester City supporters rated the atmosphere as second worst in the league, but the atmosphere has since significantly improved and continues to do so.

In October 2014, the club received two national VisitFootball awards for the quality of its customer care of Premier League fans visiting the Etihad Stadium during the previous season. VisitFootball, a joint venture between the Premier League and the national tourism board's VisitEngland, has been assessing the care that patrons receive at football grounds since August 2010, and presents annual awards for those clubs who deliver outstanding customer service. Manchester City had been one of the first four clubs to receive an inaugural VisitFootball award in 2011, but in 2014 it was the recipient of both the Club of the Year and Warmest Welcome awards.

According to the panel of experts from the football and customer service industries that assess the services and facilities provided at each of the twenty Premier League club stadia, 'Manchester City are the gold standard in providing fans with the best matchday experience.' Main article: In July 2011, CoMS was renamed the Etihad Stadium, sponsored by who fought off competition from and to gain the stadium naming rights. The lucrative ten-year sponsorship deal included not just the naming rights to the stadium itself but to the whole into which it was soon to be incorporated. In mid-September 2011, development plans were duly announced for a new state-of-the-art youth academy and training facility, now known as the (CFA) to be built on derelict land adjacent to the stadium and which would include a plus fifteen additional outdoor football pitches, six swimming pools and three gyms.

The planned CFA facility was not only to become the new home base of the Manchester City,, and all of the, but also the new home of the prior loosely affiliated Manchester City Ladies team (which was re-branded in 2012 as and more formally merged into the Manchester City family of affiliated football teams). Also fully integrated into the new CFA facility would be the parent club's world headquarters. At the beginning of March 2014, the structural framework for a new pedestrian walkway/footbridge over the junction of Alan Turing Way and Ashton New Road connecting the CFA with the Etihad Stadium was lowered into place. With sponsor Suisse Power & Gas SA having subsequently secured the naming rights, the completed SuisseGas Bridge was officially opened and turned over to Manchester City Council for general public access on 26 November 2014. Twelve days later, the,, presided over the official opening of the CFA. Community outreach / Urban regeneration [ ] As part of Manchester City's commitment to community outreach in their redevelopment plans for the areas of East Manchester adjacent to the Etihad Stadium, other urban regeneration plans incorporated into the overall Etihad Campus development project include the new £43 million Beswick Community Hub, that includes; a (with swimming pool, dance studio, health and fitness gym, rugby pitch, and grass sports pitches); and a planned Manchester Institute of Health and Performance. On 26 November 2014, the same day the SuisseGas Bridge was officially opened, a 'globally admired' grouping of stainless steel sculptures, consisting of three towering metallic chess pieces called Dad's Halo Effect by its internationally acclaimed creator, Ryan Gander – was likewise unveiled to the public.

Commissioned by the Manchester City Council to represent both the past industrial and current sporting heritage of this area of east Manchester, the public artwork is located in front of the Connell Sixth Form College, close to the central circus of the Beswick Community Hub and only a few hundred yards south from where the area's last public sculpture, B of the Bang, had been situated. A tram at which opened in February 2013 The stadium is 2.5 km east of., which serves mainline trains. It is a twenty-minute walk away along a well-lit signposted route that is supervised by stewards close to the ground.

Piccadilly station also has a tram stop (in the undercroft); from which regular trams along the to serve the stadium and Etihad Campus, with enhanced service frequencies and doubled tram units on matchdays. The close to Way to the immediate north of the stadium opened in February 2013, and handles several thousand travellers each matchday; spectators travelling by tram from Manchester city centre being able to board services at, the journey taking approximately 10 minutes. The also opened in February 2013 and provides access to the southeastern approach to the stadium, as well as closer access to other areas of SportCity such as the and the City Football Academy. There are many bus routes from the city centre and all other directions which stop at, or close to, SportCity. On match and event days special bus services from the city centre serve the stadium. The site has 2,000 parking spaces, with another 8,000 spaces in the surrounding area provided by local businesses and schools. Boxing ring at Hatton's title fight Under the terms of its lease, the stadium is able to host non-football events such as concerts, boxing and rugby fixtures at Manchester City's prerogative.

Manchester City applied for a permanent entertainment licence in 2012 in a bid to expand the number of non-footballing events at the stadium. Concerts [ ] Outside the football season the stadium hosts occasional concerts, and is one of the United Kingdom's largest music venues, having a maximum capacity of 60,000 for performances. It was the largest stadium concert venue in England before the new was built.

The first concert was a performance by the supported by in 2004. An concert at the ground was featured on the DVD, and the band's concert in 2005 set the attendance record of 60,000. Released a DVD of their 2006 performance at the stadium,. Other artists who have played the stadium are,,,,,,,,, the,,,,, (three times),,, and. Concerts and boxing matches eventually took their toll on the pitch. In 2008, late post-concert pitch renovation, combined with an early start to the football season, led to the pitch not being ready for the first home fixture, causing the club to play its first round qualifying match at 's and a to be imposed on the staging of non-football events at Eastlands. In May 2010, the club invested in a new pitch and summer concerts resumed in 2011 when Take That played eight nights, with ticket sales totalling approximately 400,000.

Other football events [ ] CoMS is rated a by UEFA and has hosted several major football matches in addition to Manchester City's home fixtures. It became the fiftieth stadium to host an England international football match when the and national teams played on 1 June 2004. In June 2005, the stadium hosted 's opening game in the, setting an attendance record of 29,092 for the competition. The stadium also hosted the, in which defeated 2–0. In May 2011, the stadium hosted the play-off final between and; Wimbledon gained promotion to the after beating Luton in a. The stadium was used for the play-offs because the was due to take place at Wembley on 28 May 2011 and UEFA regulations stipulate the stadium hosting the Champions League final must not be used for other matches during the previous two weeks.

Other sports [ ] In October 2004, the stadium played host to a international match between and in the series in front of nearly 40,000 spectators. The stadium more recently hosted the for three consecutive seasons (2012–2014).

This is a competition in which all 14 members of the competition play each other over a full weekend. After a record attendance in 2012 – both for a single day (32,953) and the aggregate for the whole weekend (63,716) – the Etihad Stadium became the venue of choice for this annual rugby league event, setting another attendance record (36,339 / 64,552) for it in May 2014.

However, the current construction work involved with the expansion of the South Stand caused this competition to be relocated to for the summer of 2015, but it is expected to return to the Etihad again once the expansion work is complete. On 24 May 2008, born and twice and champion boxer defeated in a contest billed as '. The fight was held in front of 56,337 fans, setting a record attendance for a British boxing event post World War II.

On 10 October 2015 it hosted a match between hosts nation and. England won 60–3 with 50,778 in attendance.

MeetingHighlights People Above Politics Litz brings Local Government, Small Business, and Conservation Experience to the Table. Jo Ellen is a 5-term Lebanon County Commissioner who is the Boots on the Ground for local government implementing programs to Protect Children, Serve Families, Secure Justice, Manage Emergencies, and Safeguard Elections. In short, Commissioner Litz Safeguards the Public Trust. Whether it was the 2004 Campbelltown Tornado, Tropical Storm Lee in 2011, or the 30' 2016 Snowstorm Jonas, I've been here for you. Litz was elected by her peers from across the state of Pennsylvania to serve as the 2012 president and 2013 chairman of the Board for the statewide commissioner's association.

Litz is about starting a conversation from public structures like roads and bridges, water and sewer, schools, and energy. A sound infrastructure is the basis of a sound economy. Litz believes we need these Economy Boosting Jobs to put money into the pockets of people so that they can buy homes, cars, and goods. Litz supports a transportation plan to make our roads and bridges safe. In this way, we will create good paying jobs, get people to these jobs, our goods to market, and children to schools. Jo Ellen served as the chair of the MPO (2012-15)--Metropolitan Planning Organization for Lebanon County--where she helps to prioritize local road and bridge projects with PennDOT and the Federal Highway Administration. Keep Litz doing the People's Business.

People Above Politics QR Code for this web. Get Updates: Demand open government and transparency, like her 24/7 access to YouTube videos of meetings. To receive email or text alerts, send your contact information to Jo Ellen at or text 717.644-4698. Commercial Rentals, 1.386 acre Property Available with established Rt 422 access & curb cuts.

Out of the flood plain. Shovel ready with public water, sewer, electricity, gas & cable. Zoned C2 General Commercial in N Lebanon Twp. Another fast growing municipality, N Cornwall Twp is across Route 422. Drone tour of subject site: My Blog on the Lebanon Daily News site: LINKED IN You Tube posts by Commissioner Litz: Wikipedia: Taking Action, Getting Results. Try one of these resources: Community Resource Manual Public Officials Directory prepared by LC Planning Department.

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Other people can provide financial support--$5, $50, or $500 a month. Whatever your situation, your contribution of time and or money is gratefully appreciated. Your early and/or monthly donation will help Jo Ellen to get elected by printing literature, reserving media buys, ordering signs. [TRANSLATED] Lebanon County Commission for Women Woman's Club of Lebanon. Web site paid for by Jo Ellen Litz.

Lebanon County Commissioner Meeting Highlights Votes taken by the Lebanon County Commissioners 2015-16: Also visit my Lebanon Daily News Blog: Videos are posted to You Tube County of Lebanon Job Openings Census Information: 2016 & 2017 Lebanon County Commissioner Meeting Highlights Lebanon County Women’s Hall of Fame Award Nominations are Open. Hosted by the Lebanon County Commission for Women to honor hidden heroes, please consider nominating women from the community who have made significant contributions through their profession and/or volunteerism while serving as role models. 10 Categories include: Leadership, Community, Agriculture, Athletics, Justice, Healthy Lifestyles, Arts, Education, Military, Science/Technology, Follow the link to the County webpage. Submissions will be accepted through November 30, 2017. These awards are presented at a special luncheon on March 21. 12.7.2017 Back at the Gap with David Weisnicht highlighted the retirement of Lt. Colonel Hepner, and change of command to Lt.

Colonel B Marshall. FIG had 26,403 trainees during 2017. There are 150 fulltime personnel at the Gap. Gate access is anticipated during the spring of 2019. Steering committee members are being sought. The Army Corps of Engineers is designing the gate.

Finally, the Aviation Training Maintenance Facility is open. Weisnicht offered a tour to commissioners.

During Sallie Neuin’s treasurer’s report commissioners approved a request to collect taxes for Jackson Township. 20 of 26 municipalities utilize Lebanon County to collect taxes. Further, collection service increased by five cents to 50 cents per parcel, bringing in $20,000 to the County and sharing in the cost of mailing. Betsy Bowman and Dan Lyons presented three motions for CDBG— Community Development Block Grant updates totaling $402,935 with $276,977 attributed to Lebanon County, and $125,959 attributed to South Lebanon Township. Kevin Schrum presented a HealthChoices value based purchasing agreement amendment to return overpayments and address member screening. It is mandatory to participate in order to deliver services. Without a tax increase, Lebanon County’s $76,486,970 budget for 2018 is on display starting today, and will receive a final vote on December 28, 2017.

Millage will remain 3.925. Renova Center reimbursement reduced County support from $700,000 to $120,000, and should remain stable. The Day Reporting Center should improve people’s lives, reduce recidivism, and reduce overtime at the prison to help contain costs. We already see a reduction from 530 to under 500 inmates.

The ARC-Annual Required Contribution to the pension is $3.1 million. While a county our size typically borrows around $250 million, principal debt in Lebanon County is below $20 million. Health insurance premiums increased by 4%. $250,000 is budgeted for IT improvements such as a new payroll and accounting software. With an established Capital Project Fund, commissioners will pave parking lots around the municipal building. Each past year, the Board of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania CCAP would gather on the Rotunda Steps in the State Capitol. This year, each county is presenting the prioritiesthat came from the “committee of the whole” during a fall conference recently held in Hershey PA.

Those priorities include: A partnership with Pennsylvania for human services such as Mental Health, Intellectual Disabilities, Early Intervention, Drug and Alcohol, Children and Youth, the Area Agency on Aging. Counties have been administering 30 new child welfare law mandates since 2015 without increased revenue. In 2016, the County of Lebanon experienced 16 deaths from heroin and opiods. We administer Act 13 of 2012, and utilize funds for farmland preservation, the County Envirothon, and park improvements. The County jail population also receives inmates that otherwise are in need of mental health counseling, but state hospitals closed. The result is a need for psychiatric, or forensic beds.

Lebanon County’s 375 electronic voting machines are aging, and we’re looking at redistricting to make sure voters are not standing in long lines on election day, especially in presidential elections. At a cost of $2700 each, $1,012,500 is needed to replace existing machines. Veterans deserve honor and respect, and we share a duty to support them when they return home—through our veteran’s administrator, the VA Hospital, the Armory, Fort Indiantown Gap, the National Cemetery. Administrator Wolgemuth presented volunteer Board appointments for consideration to various Boards that advise departments on policy. Community Action Partnership—Diane McKinney; Destination Marketing Organization—Pat Kerwin, Dana Lape Jill Weister, Donna Young and Jenny Chernich; Library—Mike Batistelli and Marie Hibshman.

One disabled veteran’s real estate tax exemption was transferred from his old to his new residence. Liquid Fuels funds were distributed: $25,477 to the City of Lebanon and $2080 to Cleona Borough. In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, about 10 students each day enroll in the Lebanon School District.

WLBR reporter Gordon Weis asked commissioners if Lebanon County is prepared for such an influx of people. Commissioner Litz responded by asking individuals to make an extra donation to Lebanon County Christian Ministries, our official foodbank, during the Christmas season. We are a caring and compassionate community, and similar to when the Vietnamese people came to Lebanon County, perhaps we could figure out a form of foster care to take in children or families to help them during the transition to find housing and jobs, or return to their communities when water and other utilities are restored. Community You Tubes: Ed Salada, South Lebanon, made a statement about phone service, trees, and cemeteries. Commissioners gave Children and Youth permission to hire an audit recommended accountant.

Probation Chief Sally Barry reported that with additional State funds, her budget will increase by $6425 ($5575 towards two probation officers, and $850 towards operations and cell phones.) Further, an expansion of eligibility for offenders not only covers levels 3 & 4 state sentenced prisoners, but now also includes level 2 offenders normally housed at the county jail. Sally also told commissioners that 12 people are reporting to the Day Reporting Center, and it’s the President Judge's plan to send an additional 12 people per month over the course of the next year.

This means there should be 144 people in rehabilitation at this time next year—rather than in the prison. This will include Domestic Relations violators.

Michael Battistelli and Brett Holland provided a pension plan update to the commissioners and Bob Mettley, all members of the Pension Board. The balance stands at roughly $123M. Battistelli and Holland also requested permission to move $10M from CS McKee to Confluence Investment Management, a Large Cap Value company with a strong investment history. Bob Mease asked commissioners to support Giving Tuesday with an “Unselfie.” Five agencies will work together this year—Jubiliee Ministries, Lebanon Family Health, Lebanon County Christian Ministries, Lebanon Rescue Mission, Lebanon YMCA, and the United Way. An event will be held at the Lebanon YMCA on November 28. Jamie Wolgemuth presented items for approval: 1) Calvin Miller and Bob Arnold were appointed to the Conservation District Board. 2) Commissioners provided Hotel Tax funds to three organizations: Lebanon Rotary’s Bologna Fest $3500; Union Canal Park’s directional sign from Tunnel Hill Road for Lebanon Valley College’s track meet $650; and Coleman Park’s Christkindle Mart $1000.

At 1:50PM, Commissioners Ames and Litz sat as the Board of Assessment and Review to listen to eight appeals. Community You Tubes: This is Lebanon County PA: 11.2.2017 Commissioner Ames participated by speakerphone. David Weisnicht reported on Back at the Gap. Winds were recorded at 71 mph during a recent storm. 137 deer were harvested in archery season. 13,991 troops trained. 11.5 @ 2PM at the National Cemetery will be a Veteran’s Day program.

Bring your lawn chair. 11.16 @8:30AM, Bob Brocklehurst, a WWII Army Air Corps veteran, will talk about his experiences at the MetEd Auditorium. 11.18 Change in command at FIG from Lt Col Robert Hepner Jr to Lt Col Lane Marshall Attorney Colleen Gallo accompanied Larry Minnich; a principal in Central Medical, to the commissioner’s meeting. Because she helped an 80-year old woman without Internet to file a complaint with the Attorney General's Office, Minnich criticized Commissioner Litz. Phyllis Holtry, Community Action Partnership, presented statistics for Medical Assistance Transportation: 4,019 consumers took 83,051 trips at a cost of $1,331,921. 30 approved drivers perform MATP services.

CAP is 100% reimbursed. Further, Phyllis presented an $808.052 budget for Crisis Intervention at Philhaven. Bmw R1200gs Adventure Service Manual. County support totals $452,225 from MHIDEI, the Drug and Alcohol, Children and Youth, and CAP where we receive partial reimbursement.

Oliva Bingeman, reported on a $59,708.50 grant to treat and test mosquito larva, a fulltime job performed by Penn State Extension Agency. Through blood testing, Penn State discovered a human positive case. The individual had no symptoms. Also, a change in the principal investigator from Leon Ressler to Sarah Cornelisse was approved. Commissioners approved Penn State to perform the work for the County.

Stephanie Shirk received a proclamation for Penn State Extension celebrating their 100 th Anniversary in Lebanon County. Extension exists under the Smith Lever Act, a that established a system of cooperative extension services connected to land grant universities. Extension informs people about current developments in agriculture, home economics, public policy/government, leadership, 4-H, economic development, coastal issues, and many other related subjects. Blinker Linker Download there. Extension helps farmers learn new agricultural techniques by the introduction of home instruction. (Wikipedia) Mike Ritter received a proclamation and shared the results of a Homeless count in Lebanon PA.

Many homeless couch surf, stay in cars. 2 homeless individuals were found on the streets, and 54 were in shelters. November 17 everyone is asked to wear a red shirt in support of ending homelessness. EMA Director Bob Dowd introduced Joe Morales who will be in charge of tracking, distributing, and filing reports on 360 Naloxone kits for Lebanon County. Starting on November 15, first responders and others will receive their supplies from this central point. For limited access, kits will be locked in a safe behind the secure walls at EMA. No refrigeration is needed for the kits.

Warden Robert Karnes and Coroner and prison doctor Jeff Yocum presented a plan to have Donough Pharmacy fill prescriptions for prisoners at the Lebanon County Correctional Facility. Each plastic sleeve will be stamped with the prisoner’s name, a description of the enclosed medications, and other pertinent information. Any unused drugs will be returned to Donough.

This procedure will free up time for nurses from filling the prescriptions. Nurses will still dispense the medications. It is expected to reduce errors as the process is mechanized at Donough. The machine holds 200 different kinds of prescriptions, and a manual feed will allow the pharmacist to add pills not in the dispenser. Overall, the County should save about $20,000 per year using this system. Commissioners signed a 3-year contract. Medications will be delivered to the prison five days per week, and Donough will assist with billing Medicare Part B and private pay inmate accounts.

Community You Tubes: This is Lebanon County PA: David Weisnicht reported on Back at the Gap. A Transportation Center groundbreaking is in the works. The center will house simulators and training aids for Pennsylvania, West Virginia and northern Maryland. There will be a prescribed burn mid-November on 25 acres. The burn will help to prevent accidental fires, and keep them on FIG property. FIG has a $500 million economic value to the community. Training of troops is at capacity with 7500 occupancy.

Bow hunting season is open. 67 deer were harvested so far. You can get tested for hunting safety and get permits online at Voter Registration Director Michael Anderson received permission to place required advertising in the Lebanon Daily News and Hummelstown Sun. Listed will be hours and locations of polling places along with all of the candidate’s names and offices they are seeking.

Attorney George Christianson presented a LERTA request for a parcel in Union Township. Previously, both Union Township and Northern Lebanon School District approved an ordinance in support of the LERTA, which increases the assessed value to include infrastructure improvements like water, sewer, roads, and sidewalks that will be fully taxed. New construction on the buildable lot will increase building assessments by 10% each year for 10 years. Smith is the owner.

Centurium, Baltimore, Maryland is the builder. Valuation is anticipated at $25/square foot, which would calculate to be a $10-million project that will provide jobs to the area. George anticipates a combination manufacturing and warehouse space. Drug and Alcohol Director Jim Donmoyer received a proclamation in support of Red Ribbon Week to bring awareness to students about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Patrick Salmon, Honeywell, presented cost savings to replace windows at the courthouse.

Due to failing windows that are frosted, two in the commissioner’s office alone, Commissioner Litz requested the study, which revealed a savings of $6000 per year. While nothing to dismiss, this project would be a capitol project of about $450,000 with a payback of 60 years rather than a 10-year recapture that is the target of energy improvements. United Way released a community impact study. Kenny Montejo and Bob Hoffman presented copies of the Penn State study to commissioners, and provided an update on the 2017 campaign. Bayer and other companies are covering the entire cost of administration.

Therefore, 100% of employee donations will go toward one of 22 programs: funded programs:;;:;;;; @HopesEmergencyShelter;;;;; @LiteracyCouncilofLancasterLebanon; @FinancialLiteracyProject;; KidsMobileMentoringProgram; SexualAssaultResourceandCounselingCenter;;;;;; @SocialServices; @WellnessMembershipsandPrograms;;. Commissioner Litz sought input and ideas for the commissioners concerning a United Way celebration for employees at the conclusion of the campaign. Thank you to everyone for participating in the discussion. Here's a summary: 1. Get the forms out to employees ASAP. Do something for the employees--one-half day off or a gift certificate to a restaurant.

Further, it could be a lunch at a locally owned restaurant where the employee could share an idea for better service or to cut costs. Then, commissioners could implement their idea.

I liked the idea of making it connected to United Way. Therefore, the suggestion for commissioners to serve half a day in service to one of the 22 charities was meaningful to her. For example, Compeer has a program for veterans. Hold a bingo party for them.

We could be a Big Brother or Sister for a day; maybe serve a meal at LCCM; help a scout troop to earn a badge. We could give the employee the option of both choosing the charity and serving alongside of us. Commissioners committed to sponsoring five awards each, which will result in 15 employees receiving the option of either going to lunch with the commissioners or Commissioner Litz’s five employees could choose one of the 22 service organizations, and volunteer with her there for half of a day; or for Commissioners Ames and Phillips, throw pies in their faces.

Lebanon County may soon have an official flag. Commissioner Litz updated a logo used during the Bicentennial, and created prototype County flags. Would you fly a county flag?

What size would interest you most? Would you prefer the County seal verses a logo on the flag? An MATP contract was approved for First Aid and Safety Patrol.

Children and Youth revised a provider agreement with Evanco. Commissioners also approved a Child accounting and profile system overseen by CCAP for a State program that was breached. Notifications were incorporated into the system. Dave Warner received a resolution for a title search on 217 Weidman Street, a lot that the commissioners are purchasing. Jamie Wolgemuth was also given authority to sign documents. Commissioners approved a proclamation for Casey Emler, an Eagle Scout who built bat and bluebird boxes for Governor Dick Park.

Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Planner Jon Fitzkee presents road and bridge projects to the Board, which consists of the three commissioners, Chamber of Commerce, Lebanon Transit, LVEDC, municipal representative, PennDOT, Federal Highway Administration. Community You Tubes: 10.4-5.2017 David Weisnicht said that 132,000 troops were trained at Fort Indiantown Gap.

Another 4,000 troops received Warfighter 18 training, a command and control virtual simulation training exercise. Treasurer Sallie Neuin presented debt service payments for approval from the General Fund of: $11,879.63 to the 2006 Bank Loan at Wellsfargo; $347,586.16 to the 2008 Bank Loan at Wellsfargo; $1,026,315 to the 2015 Bank Loan at Fulton Bank; $861,331.25 to the 2015A General Obligation Bond at Fulton Financial; and $24,667.78 to the 2016 General Obligation Bond at Fulton Financial.

Voter Registrar Michael Anderson returned with Lebanon Valley College intern Dustin Shepler for approval of sample ballots. Michael also reviewed important Election dates with commissioners: 10.31 Absentee Ballot applications are due in his office; 11.3 voted absentee ballots must be in his office.

To meet the deadline, hand carry your application and/or ballot into the Voter Registration Office in the Municipal Building, 400 S 8 th Street, Lebanon PA. Drug and Alcohol Director James Donmoyer presented a year-end report. While over by $17,433, funds were covered with rent payments from White Deer Run. There were 14 overdoses with two toxicology reports pending. A DDAP agreement provides $26.5M in federal dollars for SURE grants of which $143,268 is coming to Lebanon County for use by 4.30.2018.

Further, $78,750 will be used to support the uninsured or underinsured with services. In 2018, the figure will be $78,750. John Shott, from the Probation Department, explained a $235,000 pretrial diversion grant modification to cover Dr. Martha Thompson’s $4063 fee.

Olivia Bingeman, the West Nile Virus Coordinator for Penn State Extension, presented an amendment to the $60,208.99 grant. Since she was hired around June, the unused salary was approved for purchase of a $25,255 pickup to replace a 15-year old truck.

There were 85 mosquito positives this year compared to 65 positives in 2016. One human case is in Fredericksburg. Accompanying Olivia was Matt Helwig from DEP. Penn State Extension was also approved as grant administrator. Also being planned is a tire collection. In 2016, 67 people from 16 different townships turned in 346 tires for recycling. Children and Youth Director James Holtry presented $1,347,406.25 in third quarter invoices for approval.

MHIDEI Director Kevin Schrum presented $47,405 in contract amendments for approval. He also announced that 20-years of Health Choices and Managed Care in PA allows resiliency for children, adults, and veterans, and resulted in savings of $16.4M statewide.

Lebanon partners with four counties in this program.