JOIN USSupporters of Manchester City football club in northern England will be able to pay to watch players prepare for matches at the Etihad Stadium through a glass tunnel thought to be the first of its kind in Europe.
Manchester City fans prepared to pay for the privilege will be able to eat and drink in a newly built executive lounge with a view, as players from both teams emerge from the dressing rooms in front of them and walk down a staircase surrounded completely by glass on their way to the pitch.
The scheme may draw comment from opposition clubs who may not be thrilled by the idea of their players being visible after leaving the field at full and half-time while still full of adrenaline and emotion. Neighbours Manchester United, for example, have previously complained about the use of a camera in the tunnel which shows footage of players coming off the pitch broadcast on the City website. However, work has already started on the construction, which is thought to be based on a concept currently in use at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in American National Football League. By the start of next season, Etihad Stadium will have new dressing rooms located on the first floor of the main stadium, with the new glass tunnel leading down to the ground floor and on to the pitch.
Etihad Stadium was built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, following which it was converted into a football stadium. Manchester City moved into the stadium at the start of the 2003-04 season. The stadium was initially called ‘City of Manchester Stadium’ but was renamed Etihad Stadium in 2011 following a 10-year sponsorship deal with Etihad Airways.