Stadium Guide
Ewen Fields has been the home of Hyde United for over 100 years and previously hosted Manchester City EDS fixtures.
When the Manchester City partnership was formed, the stadium was totally repainted from Hydes traditional red to blue. However, during the COVID pandemic in 2020, when the first lockdown meant there was no football whatsoever at the ground, fans and volunteers set out on a mission to turn the ground red again. It started out with changing the blue seats in the mainstand to red, having inheritted some red seating from Manchester United. But it did stop there, what was going to be a short job of changing seating over a couple of weeks turned into around 6 months of work repainting the ground. The 3 photos above show the mainstand:
- Prior to the City partnership
- During the City partnership
- After the City partnership
The stadium holds up to 4,250 spectators – 530 seated – in 5 covered stands, all of which are covered and raised, offering excellent views of the pitch.
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The Stands
Main Stand
The main stand houses the boardroom, club office, dressing rooms, the Peter O’Brien lounge, the press box and, most importantly, 530 seats for supporters to watch the action.
The best seat in the ground can be found by sitting level with the halfway line on the back row, but even the front row of the main stand offers excellent views of the match.
At Hyde games, entrance to the main stand is on payment of a £2 supplement once you’ve entered through the main turnstile block (and you’ll find the main stand straight ahead of you). Seats are unreserved and fans are free to leave the stand to use the facilities in the rest of the stadium.
Shed End
The Scrattin’ Shed, more commonly known as “the Shed End” (despite being in a corner, rather than at an end, of the ground), is where the most vociferous Hyde fans choose to stand. It’s the ideal choice if you like a sing, to enjoy some banter with the away supporters (who are usually housed in the adjacent Tinker’s Passage end) and don’t mind hearing the odd bit of choice language.
It’s a 13 step terrace with plenty of character and offers good views (as long as you avoid the floodlight pylon), especially of the nearest half of the pitch.
Its proximity to the social club is another of its attractions, as fans are just a set of steps away from a half-time pint.
Ewen Fields only has one turnstile block for home supporters so, like the rest of the home areas, entrance to the shed is through the main turnstile block.
Leigh Street Stand
The busiest of the stands at Ewen Fields, the Leigh Street side offers unobstructed views of the pitch from its 8-step terrace.
Although the acoustics in the Leigh Street can’t rival those of the shed, there’s usually a decent atmosphere with the diverse mix of old, young, quiet and vociferous fans who stand there often joining in with the banter with the home and away dugouts.
Please note that the Leigh Street side is sometimes given to away supporters with a sizeable following (such as Luton Town and Stockport County). Entry arrangements on occasions such as these are subject to change on police advice, so please follow instructions on arrival at the stadium.
Walker Lane End
The Walker Lane end, or “the baths end”, had its roof added in the early 2000s, making every stand at Ewen Fields covered.
It’s a basic terrace which offers good and unobstructed views of the pitch, especially of the attacking action at that end of the ground.
Please note that the Leigh Street side is sometimes given to away supporters with a sizeable following (such as Luton Town and Stockport County). Entry arrangements on occasions such as these are subject to change on police advice, so please follow instructions on arrival at the stadium.
Tinker’s Passage End
Usually allocated to away fans when games are segregated, the Tinker’s Passage end has plenty of character and, due to its low roof, is a particular favourite of noisier sets of travelling supporters. Its proximity to the shed end often helps both sides create an atmosphere too.
Most of the Tinker’s Passage end stand’s character comes from its unusual angle to the goal line (due to the old artificial pitch being anything but a perfect rectangle) and the large 80s-style netting which prevents wayward shots from ending up in residents’ gardens behind the ginnel that the end is named after.
With just 7 steps, the terracing is lower than in the rest of the ground, but supporters are free to stand behind the perimeter fence at the very front in order to be as close to the action as possible.
Entry to the Tinker’s Passage end can be found behind the social club, and supporters have access to toilets and the Leigh Street refreshments bar once they’ve passed through the turnstiles.
