Stadium construction began late in 1922. Plans by architect Charles Swain proposed a 120,000 capacity ground based on the design of Hampden Park. These plans were reduced to give a capacity of 80,000. However, this figure was still the second largest in the country, behind Wembley Stadium, leading to a label of "The Wembley of the North". Wembley had opened in London only a few months earlier. This made a source of rivalry between the northern and southern divisions of builders Sir Robert McAlpine, who built both stadia. During construction, the stadium was supposedly cursed by a gypsy when Manchester City officials evicted a gypsy camp from the area. This curse was allegedly removed on 28 December 1998. However, the gypsy curse is likely to be an urban myth, as such stories are endemic to a number of football league grounds. Construction took 300 days. The total cost £100,000. The first layout of the ground was one covered stand with a seating capacity of 10,000. It had uncovered terracing on the other three sides, with gentle curves connecting the corners.