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Eastlands is an area of East Manchester, the location of Manchester City's home ground. I am Ken, an Eastlandsblue since 2003, and a City fan from the early 1950's Bert Trautman days. I believe now that my ten year support for the Eastlands name has been justified as most of the press, radio and TV news media now use it. Even Ian Cheeseman who, as the main City correspondent for BBC GMR, and previously preferred the use of 'The City of Manchester Stadium' name, hates the new 'Etihad' name. He now occasionaly includes 'EASTLANDS' during his broadcast's and commentaries at City matches

Back in 2003 I had a cap embroidered 'and so to EASTLANDS' , well before we moved from Maine Road and I must say that I have always liked the name. It slips off the tongue easily and is much preferred to the 'Etihad', which is a corporate name chosen not by the fans, but a commercial branding for the owners Airline and I realise that this provides much needed sponsorship revenue to the club but we dont have to use it do we?.This same branding has to be covered up for European home matches due to UEFA's TV advertising rights You couldn't include it in a chant like 'We are City, Super City, We are City from Maine Road'.

Our current sponsors 'ETIHAD' have a stadium in Melbourne Australia named after them. (see above) and I predicted in 2010 that they would do the same to our ground, this came to pass in July 2011 but the media, TV and Radio often refer to Eastlands rather than the Etihad Stadium and I believe the name is now endemic. See my media page

For eighty years, before we moved to Eastlands, we called our beloved City home ground 'Maine Road'. But airline names don't last forever. BOAC/BEA is now British Airways, United Arab Airlines is now Egypt Air. Where are TWA, Pan American and British Caledonian now? I could name many more that have changed names or disappeared. Etihad (it translates as Union, Unite or even United) is one of thirty-two airlines of the UNITED Arab Emirates. What will they call our stadium when that name is changed? One thing I am confident of is that City's ground will still be at 'Eastlands' in Manchester and that is what it should be known as by the fans, a name that will survive whatever happens

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