Inside Man Utd’s £2bn stadium dilemma as plot to build biggest ground in UK will destroy or revive iconic Old Trafford
MANCHESTER UNITED are one of the biggest clubs in the world, steeped in history and tradition.
But in order to progress, tradition may have to make way and that could mean DESTROYING Old Trafford.
The ground has fallen into disrepair in recent years with its leaky roof a physical symbol of United’s troubles on the pitch.
It is now no league title for 11 years for England‘s most successful club, who have been overtaken on and off the pitch – including by neighbours Manchester City.
Jim Ratcliffe arrived at the club earlier this year determined to address both issues, despite being given only a “football operations” remit.
He made big changes quickly after taking over, bringing in the likes of Dan Ashworth (who he later sacked), Omar Berrada and Jean-Claude Blanc to improve United’s recruitment, while also sacking Erik ten Hag and hiring Ruben Amorim.
Amidst much change on the pitch, Ratcliffe has is also addressing the critical issue of redeveloping Old Trafford.
He has appointed a task force that includes Gary Neville and Manchester mayor Andy Burnham to decide how to make this grand old club fit for the new football landscape.
Why now?
Old Trafford may be the biggest club stadium in the land but it is showing signs of wear and tear.
It has stood in one form or another for 114 YEARS but is no longer fit for purpose with increasing demand for tickets and a roof that leaks huge amounts of water whenever there is heavy rain in Manchester.
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The Glazers have been accused of allowing the stadium to rot, with patchy and tired paintwork, cramped concourses and limited drink options – with Wifi only a recent introduction.
Neville has described the ground as “second rate”, with City and Tottenham far advanced in terms of their hospitality packages.
The last time major renovation works took place was 2006, when 8,000 seats were put in place through the addition of a second tier to both the north-west and north-east quadrants of the ground.
Since then Arsenal have moved into the Emirates, Spurs into the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, West Ham into the London Stadium, Brentford into the Gtech Community Stadium, while Anfield, Craven Cottage and the Etihad have been transformed by upgrades.
Everton are about to move into a shiny new ground next season while Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Aston Villa are exploring ways to expand their stadiums too.
It’s time for Manchester United to catch up, with Old Trafford‘s decline so severe it won’t be one of the UK and Ireland‘s host stadiums for Euro 2028.
What’s the plan?
Option One – Build a new stadium
Manchester United have given themselves two options – renovate Old Trafford or build a totally new venue. It’s a huge dilemma.
Ratcliffe has a vision for a new stadium dubbed ‘Wembley of the North’, and his preferred option is to build a 100,000-seater stadium on nearby land used by a rail freight company.
There was talk of keeping the current stadium alongside a new one, but reducing its capacity to 30,000, making it an ideal venue for United’s Women’s team and various youth sides.
However the plans for two separate stadia have been canned and Old Trafford would be knocked down to make way for a 100,000 capacity, state-of-the-art arena on land behind the Stretford End.
This option may involve cutting off the Stretford End to finish the build, meaning some fans may be temporarily unable to attend games, but club executives are exploring options to avoid this.
The regeneration project is estimated to cost £2billion, which will see a new stadium built alongside shops, restaurants and entertainment spaces, as well as improved transport links.
Drawing on inspiration from SoFi stadium in LA, Ineos want to create a year-round destination on the 400,000 square metres of land United owns around Old Trafford.
United hoped to secure government funding for the project, and could offer in return a huge boost to the local economy, with Oxford Economics predicting a £7.3b boost.
They predict “92,000 new jobs, more than 17,000 new homes and an additional 1.8 million visitors per year.”
Option Two – Renovate existing stadium
The alternative is to renovate the existing structure, which would see the Old Trafford stands expanded.
The plans would focus on redevelopment of the Sir Bobby Charlton stand, also known as the South Stand, but would mean some fans may be forced to miss games during construction work.
This option proposes a plan to expand Old Trafford from its current 74,310 capacity to 87,000, similar to how Liverpool have recently increased Anfield by around 10,000 seats.
By expanding Old Trafford United would get to continue their history of playing at the ground for more than 100 years, which could prove popular amongst fans, while also helping to keep up with increasing demand – 177,000 fans are currently on the season ticket waiting list.
Which option will they pick/what are the challenges?
The biggest problem with staying at the current site is that expansion is limited.
The railway line that runs behind the Bobby Charlton Stand is a key freight line connecting Liverpool to Manchester.
The club hope a station could be added to the line, replacing the Trafford Halt stop that was last used in December 2017.
The Bobby Charlton Stand is now dwarfed by the other three stands but has limited space behind it because of the railway line.
However Mayor Burnham proposes a solution that could see the line moved.
He said: “There’s a freight terminal right behind Old Trafford, which means freight trains (need to) come through Piccadilly and Oxford Road.
“Here is the opportunity to take it away from Old Trafford and put it into Port Salford or Parkside, a scheme in development in Wigan, and then Manchester United have an easier space to use with regards to the redevelopment.
“This is not about public money being used improperly. It’s a win-win opportunity.”
But even if stands are expanded, there is plenty more work to do with regard to fixing leaks and improving hospitality, and such work could take a considerable amount of time.
And though it would cost a lot less, with initial calculations estimating a £1.2bn spend, United would have to play elsewhere during the project and likely have to ground share with City – which would mean a loss in revenue.
What can fans expect from a new Old Trafford?
Neville, who is part of the task force headed by Lord Coe, wants a ‘Man Utd World’ akin to Disneyland that will see not only the stadium improved, but the surrounding area as well.
Ratcliffe appears to be leaning towards that plan too, with the new ground to be built adjacent to the current stadium.
It could boast a huge single-tiered stand – akin to Tottenham’s South Stand or Borussia Dortmund‘s Yellow Wall, helping to make it the biggest stadium in the country.
Real Madrid have laid the blueprint of what the new Old Trafford could look like – a structure that is dazzling on the eye, but possibly with a glass exterior rather than the Bernabeu’s metal facade.
It could even boast a permanently-closed roof, never seen before in the UK, though there are a number of designs to choose from including an arch over the roof.
Giant LED screens, potentially wrapping around the inside of the stadium as they do at the SoFi Stadium in LA, would almost certainly be a feature.
That would be a huge upgrade on Old Trafford, which is one of few Premier League stadiums not to provide a single screen for fans.
Neville and Burnham both envision big things, with the former United player wanting the area to “wow” visitors.
The former right-back said: “What I want to see is a world of Manchester United around that stadium – of opportunity, hope and belief.
“It sounds Disneyfied, but I don’t mean a theme park. I mean where people visit that area and think, ‘Wow’.
“In five, six or seven years, I want United to have the best stadium and training ground in the world, plus doing the right things on the football side.
“That will come again and we’re patient.”
Burnham is also eyeing a big transformation, and wants to make Old Trafford the best destination in world football.
He said: “If we achieve the extent of our ambition, I believe this will be the world’s premiere football destination.
“We hope it’s the best football stadium in the world, which brings benefits to residents around it.”
Who will build it?
Architects Foster & Partners are the favourites to take on the project.
They provide a wealth of experience and a star-studded catalogue that includes several iconic London buildings, including City Hall and the British Museum.
The firm redeveloped Wembley into the state-of-the-art arena it is today, proving they know how to maintain history and tradition when it comes to football stadiums.
The Wembley arch is a sight to behold and the architects could look to give Old Trafford an iconic look, as their previous designs have shown they can think outside the box.
Recently completed works in the UK include the Battersea Power Station Gardens and 50 Electric Avenue, also part of the complex which has rejuvenated the Battersea area – leading to 22m visitors since its opening in October 2022.
Other stunning works include the Zayed National Museum in the UAE and Techo International Airport in Cambodia.
Is it worth it?
The project could cost £2bn and financing could prove an issue, with Ratcliffe himself only said to be worth £12bn – and that was before he bought into United.
But increased capacity and better hospitality packages will see matchday revenue increase sharply, with some estimates predicting a rise from £136m to £200m a year.
New shops and restaurants would also likely have to pay rent to the club, while United could even own the stores outright, meaning they would have a steady source of income from the site even when games are not being played.
In terms of Ratcliffe and his role in the club, a move could boost his waning popularity with a survey finding 52 per cent of season ticket holders are in favour of a move, while 31 per cent want a redevelopment of the current ground.
It would also be a huge boost for Manchester and make it a hub of football in England, potentially bringing with it 92,000 new jobs, more than 17,000 new homes and an extra 1.8million visitors per year.
Stadium timeline?
United bosses will not make a decision on which plan they carry out until summer 2025.
It is thought that once an option is chosen, there is likely to be a lengthy ‘Design Consultation’ which could last up to two years before the building work will commence.
That means stadium construction is not likely to start until at least the end of the 2027/28 season, with the new stadium unlikely to be completed before 2032.
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium took three years to construct, and like Old Trafford that was on the site of White Hart Lane, so United fans could expect a similar timeline.
But it might not fit in with with Ratcliffe’s ‘Project 150’ – to celebrate the club’s 150th anniversary by winning the league by 2028.
Ratcliffe said after his investment was completed: “It’s not a 10-year plan.
“The fans would run out of patience if it was a 10-year plan. But it’s certainly a three-year plan to get there.
“To think that we’re going to be playing football as good as Manchester City played against Real Madrid last season by next year is not sensible.
“And if we give people false expectations, then they will get disappointed. So the key thing is our trajectory, so that people can see that we’re making progress.
“I think it’s the club’s 150-year anniversary in 2028… if our trajectory is leading to a very good place in that sort of timeframe then we’d be very happy with that.
“Because it’s not easy to turn Manchester United into the world’s best football team.
“The ultimate target for Manchester United — and it’s always going to be thus, really — is that we should be challenging for the Premier League and challenging for the Champions League.
“It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world.”