The Point at Old Trafford Cricket Ground

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What do you make of The Point?

We think it looks like an old-fashioned fan heater – only red. A friend of ours thinks it looks like someone’s knocked over a toaster – only red.

It’s not bad. Some cricket folk are getting a bit carried away with what it looks like. Aesthetics matter, but the real point (sorry) of this structure is that will bring in millions of pounds.

Those millions of pounds can be put towards tarting up Old Trafford’s ageing shab and will help ensure that international cricket can continue in the North-West.

That’s what we care about. Many people go to a Test match primarily as some sort of social occasion. For them, the ambience and surroundings are more important than what happens on the field. They’re dicks.

DON'T BE LIKE GATT!

Mike Gatting wasn't receiving the King Cricket email when he dropped that ludicrously easy chance against India in 1993.

Coincidence?

Why risk it when it's so easy to sign up?

26 comments

  1. I think it’s great, the cricket grounds of the world need to keep up with modern times. As you mentions it’s about the money, cricket at the end of the day needs to make a profit to grow.

    But where is the braai area?

  2. The main thing is making sure Old Trafford keeps hosting Test matches – I’ve just got Lancashire’s annual accounts in the post this morning, and the only thing bringing the books even close to balancing are International cricket and Take That concerts. If there’s less of the former, then there could be a worrying increase in the latter.

  3. although, having said that, it’s hard to beat the “fan heater” description. It’s even got the vents at the top.

  4. I don’t think you have to be a cricket-as-a-social-occasion dick to think it dominates the old pavilion, and that it might have been better placed. I’ve got nothing against modern architecture (some of my best friends are ugly buildings), but sensitivity to the old is always nice.

    Obviously it’s better there than nowhere, of course, and the sooner Old Trafford is a top-class international ground, the better. So if this is part of that, all to the good.

  5. It’s a Martian centipede with evil laser eyes, only redder. Look at all those legs as it crouches menancingly over the seating area.

    At least it’s got a bit more architectural interest than the “New Stand” at Trent Bridge (now 2 years old) which funnels any breeze coming off the Trent into a howling gale. It also jars against our lovely old pavillion. Boo.

  6. I think it looks like a stackable cassette storage thing – they did come in bright colours like red, and were as plasticy and horrid as the cassette-tapes they were meant to keep tidy.

    The cassette-tape is no longer a must have commodity, it’s useless and outdated – this building looks the same, like a outsized bit of plastic tat.

    I like all the new stands at Trent Bridge

  7. I had a discussion about the point (small p) with some strangers in E stand on Friday. We were unsure of what it was (the point, not The Point). It (The Point) seems to be both a) very big, and b) capable of holding about twelve people at any one time. Do you have to pay a million pounds to get in? That seems to be the only way it’s going to pay for itself.

    Apparently it is phase 1 of a much bigger development. Presumably the other new structures will also be based on Lego.

  8. It’s like a big red letter box.

    Only all of it is missing apart from the part immediately surrounding the slot. And for some reason there is a balcony and huge windows. Other than that it’s like a big red letterbox.

  9. It’s actually pretty good. If they had painted it white/grey instead of red, it might have gotten positive reviews from the KC site.

  10. Interesting fact of the day:

    1. Spelling-wise, “gray” is American, while “grey” is British.
    2. You are British.
    3. Your site complains when I type “grey”.

  11. What do you mean, our site complains? How does it complain?

    It’s never done that before. Have we inadvertently created Skynet?

  12. @KC: It puts a red dotted line underneath the word to indicate the spelling is flawed.

  13. Deep Cower, hang your head in shame for bad-mouthing kingcricket.co.uk in such a way. Although it’s good news in that we haven’t created Skynet.

    That said, if anyone knows a way we can get the website to punch people in the nads if they use the present continuous tense, that’d be just great.

    We’re loving punching people in the nads when they use the present continuous tense.

  14. I was going to say that i am not going on holiday next week but that could be present continous tense. I am wondering if i use it often without realising.

    Would “gotten’ have gotten thro an English English spell cheque?

  15. ‘Gotten’ is fine here in Manchester.

    What do you think we were spinning in those dark, satanic mills?

  16. Suave and KC: I am hanging my head in shame alright.

    thesaurusrus: Nice touch with the double and single quotes, but check is check everywhere while cheque is not.

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