by 1948 the attendance record had swelled to 40,179 as the stadium hosted visitors middlesbrough in the fa cup. the terracing embankments were raised and by february 1949 a ground and club record which still stands was hit – 55,019 turned out to watch hull city play manchester united. the locally famous boothferry halt opened in 1951. the ground now had its own railway station, its first use being a fixture against everton when six trains ran the football service between paragon station, hull's central railway station and boothferry park. at the same time, work proceeded on the covering of the north stand.