Academy Stadium

{{Short description|Football stadium in Manchester, England}}

{{use dmy dates|date=December 2014}}

{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}

{{Infobox venue

| name = Academy Stadium

| nickname = MiniCOMS, Minihad

| image = Manchester city academy stadium.jpg

| fullname = Manchester City Academy Stadium

| former_names =

| mapframe = no

| location = Sportcity, Manchester, England

| coordinates = {{coord|53|28|52|N|2|11|34|W |type:landmark_scale:2000_region:GB |display=it}}

| opened = 8 December 2014

| owner = Manchester City F.C.

| operator = Manchester City F.C.

| surface = Natural grass

| scoreboard =

| construction_cost = £200 million (total value of training facilities)

| architect = Rafael Vinoly

| project_manager =

| structural engineer =

| services engineer =

| general_contractor =

| main_contractors = BAM Construction

| capacity =4,998 seats{{cite web|url=https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/manchester-city-agrees-regional-sponsorship-deal-with-leovegas-betting-brand/|title=Manchester City agrees regional sponsorship deal with LeoVegas betting brand |work=SportBusiness |date=8 September 2022 |access-date=11 November 2024}} (7,000 overall)

| record_attendance =

| dimensions =

| tenants = Manchester City F.C. EDS and Academy
Manchester City W.F.C.

}}

The Academy Stadium is a football stadium in Manchester, England, forming part of the Etihad Campus. In September 2023, the ground was renamed Joie Stadium for sponsorship reasons.{{cite web |last=Bajkowski |first=Simon |title=Man City agree landmark sponsorship deal to rename academy stadium |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/man-city-women-sponsors-joie-27709622 |website=Manchester Evening News |date=14 September 2023}} Announced on 19 September 2011 as part of an 80-acre training facility to cater for around 400 youth players at a time,{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-14973123 |title=Manchester City unveil 80-acre Etihad Academy plan |work=BBC |date=19 September 2011 |access-date=12 December 2014}} the campus was opened on 8 December 2014.{{cite web |last1=Coyle |first1=Simon |title=Watch: Take a look around the new City Football Academy |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/watch-take-look-around-new-8247126 |website=Manchester Evening News |access-date=2 July 2020 |date=8 December 2014}} The stadium, known simply as Academy Stadium, was inaugurated by students of the Manchester Metropolitan University, who played the first official games on the pitch on 14 December 2014.{{cite web |url=https://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Club-news/2014/December/MMU-story |title=University teams to play at MCFC Academy Stadium |work=mcfc.co.uk |date=12 December 2014 |access-date=12 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414104202/http://mcfc.co.uk/News/Club-news/2014/December/MMU-story |archive-date=14 April 2015 |url-status=dead }} Academy Stadium is home to the men's Elite Development Squad and other senior academy teams, as well as to Manchester City Women, who also play select matches at the City of Manchester Stadium.

Although not the biggest building of the facility, the Academy Stadium still features numerous facilities more common to larger stadia, including a press room, board room, offices and retail space.{{cite web |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/manchester-city-see-video-of-200m-1323138 |title=City of the future! Watch fly-through video of Blues' amazing new £200m HQ |work=The Mirror |date=14 September 2012 |access-date=12 December 2014}} Situated only 400 metres from the City of Manchester Stadium, the Academy Stadium is linked to the mother ground via a 190-metre bridge across the intersection of Ashton New Road and Alan Turing Way.{{cite web |url=https://mcfc.co.uk/news/club-news/2014/november/bridge-rights-sold |title=SuisseGas unveiled as naming partner for new bridge |work=mcfc.co.uk |date=14 November 2014 |access-date=12 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213024942/https://mcfc.co.uk/news/club-news/2014/november/bridge-rights-sold |archive-date=13 December 2014 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}

In 2016, it was used as one of the two venues for that year's World Rugby Under 20 Championship in rugby union.{{cite press release |url=http://www.worldrugby.org/u20/news/69669 |title=England to host World Rugby U20 Championship 2016 |publisher=World Rugby |date=16 June 2015 |access-date=2 November 2015 |archive-date=17 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617115756/http://www.worldrugby.org/u20/news/69669 |url-status=dead }} In 2022, it hosted some group stage matches during the UEFA Women's Euro.