Why there is an empty tier for Man City vs Manchester United derby

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• Manchester City FC

Manchester City will have a new North Stand early next year as work continues. But the extra tier remained empty for the Premier League derby against Manchester United

The top tier of the North Stand at the Etihad is not yet ready to be opened

There has been many a joke made about the Empty-had in recent years and the Manchester derby this weekend shone a light on an empty tier in one of the Etihad stands behind the goal.

But it's construction work that is the reason behind the lack of fans in the top of the North Stand, with work continuing to finish the project in time for it to be open in early 2026.

There was a sell-out crowd to watch the 197th Manchester derby and the capacity will be significantly increased the next time Manchester United are in town.

Extensive work has been ongoing all summer to create a new single tier for 7,000 supporters. The old roof has been removed and a new one added.

A new screen is already in place in the south-east corner of the stadium that will mainly be to the benefit of those in the north stand, while there have also been improvements to the concourses.

Work on the North Stand is expected to be completed in early 2026, with the hotel and other aspects of the £300m renovation expected to be completed at the end of that year.

The result will be a capacity of more than 60,000 at the Etihad while there will also be a new fanzone, museum, City store, hotel and a range of food and drink outlets.

The stand will open first, with the rest of the project set to be completed later in 2026. The new facilities will then sit alongside Co-op Live to complete a significant overhaul to that part of east Manchester.

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