Man Utd Stadium Plans: Will Sir Jim Ratcliffe build new ground and what does it mean for Old Trafford? | Football News

Are Manchester United getting a new stadium? What does it mean for the future of Old Trafford? And how much will it all cost? Sky Sport looks at the most important questions…

Will Man Utd get a new stadium?

The Daily Telegraph reported in February that Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to build a new stadium for United, who have played at Old Trafford for the past 114 years, with a capacity of almost 74,000.

According to the report, the plan would see United create a ‘Wembley of the North’ to rival the 90,000-seater national stadium in north London.

Now the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force – which Ratcliffe chairs – has backed that view, throwing its weight behind the idea of ​​a new stadium that could reportedly seat 100,000 people, making it the largest stadium in the UK.

It is too early to say that this is the only direction United will take, although it is the preferred route to create a new world-class location with all the associated benefits.

Other members of the taskforce include Lord Coe, Sky Sports analyst Gary Neville and Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham.

“I was told that Sir Jim Ratcliffe turned up for one of his meetings and he felt that for the biggest football club in the world the wow factor just wasn’t there. I agree,” he said Together we stand strong Editor Andy Mitten on Sky Sports News in February.

What is Man Utd’s position on this?

According to the TelegraphAccording to Ratcliffe’s original report, he is against the idea of ​​moving the club, but he believes supporters would support a stadium move if they remained on the same ground.

United own around 100 acres of land around Old Trafford, 43 acres of which are ready for development. Around 25 acres are said to be unused and the club believes it is underutilised.

The task force has now concluded that it is better to build a completely new stadium, rather than renovate the existing site.

United have already conducted research into what other sports clubs around the world have done, including the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, the venue where they suffered a pre-season defeat to Arsenal.

Jim Heverin, director at Zaha Hadid Architects, said in the series ‘The Future of Football’ that the way Barcelona, ​​Real Madrid and Liverpool have renovated their own stadiums rather than building new ones is the model United should follow.

“You would certainly expect Old Trafford to think about repurposing and not going anywhere else. Look at what Liverpool have done with these little tweaks and upgrades. It looks like the future and not brand new stadiums,” he said.

“I know why Everton are moving, but this seems more like the old way of looking at new stadiums, especially when you already have something that is an advantage.”

Sky Sports’ Neville, part of the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, has been vocal about the need to improve Old Trafford’s facilities. “Maybe what Liverpool have done is the way forward,” he said late last year.

“If there is a shortage of funds, maybe one or two stands, absolutely world class, and the other two follow each other in the next five to ten years. That would be a plan.”

What’s wrong with Old Trafford?

Oh, quite a few. “Old Trafford is falling down” is the opening line of a chant that fans of rival clubs have been using constantly to demonstrate the fun United have had this season.

The declining quality of United’s stadium is well documented, the most recent example being the home defeat to Arsenal in May, when parts of the stadium were flooded after a thunderstorm, including water pouring through the roof.

More videos of parts of the stadium in disrepair have circulated online in recent years. Despite being the largest club stadium in England, it was not selected as a host stadium for the 2028 European Championship in the UK and Ireland.

“The main stand needs work, as does the roof, but the outside of the stadium needs work too,” Mitten added. “It’s looking a bit red in places and there are fundamental issues with Old Trafford which aren’t great. The legroom is notoriously poor in the stadium.

“Stadium designs have changed since the first stadiums were designed, and the legroom is still the same.

“It’s a beautiful stadium, Old Trafford – but I’m not a fan of the roof because I think it’s too low. Old Trafford shouldn’t get smaller, it should get bigger.”

Neville has been vocal about the need to improve Old Trafford’s facilities. “I’ve heard that there’s only a couple of hundred million pounds or so being spent on Old Trafford. That’s nowhere near enough,” he said late last year.

“I would rather spend £200m on the old stadium and make two parts of Old Trafford look absolutely fantastic. It’s important to be proud of where you play and Old Trafford is a fantastic stadium.”

The last time the club carried out major works at Old Trafford was in May 2006, when 8,000 seats were added to the north-west and north-east sides of the stadium.

The work was approved before the Glazer family took control of the club in June 2005, meaning no work has been carried out to renovate Old Trafford since United’s majority shareholders took over 19 years ago.

What do Man Utd fans think of the situation?

Mitten believes Manchester United fans are divided over how they want to redevelop Old Trafford, but he adds that money and cost play a role.

“As far as I can see, Manchester United fans are divided over the decision to redevelop the stadium or build a new stadium,” he said.

“I have been fortunate enough to see some stadium developments in Europe, such as Marseille. I have always favoured a redevelopment, but I am open to discussion, as are other fans. If the redevelopment ends up costing more money than a new stadium, then that moves the debate to another area.

“Some fans love the idea of ​​a new stadium. I love what Real Madrid has done and what Barcelona is doing, but I’m not completely against the idea of ​​building a new stadium.

“I’m just in favour of redevelopment. For me, Old Trafford just needs to be expanded. Old Trafford is a brilliant stadium, but it’s not the best stadium in the world.”

What have other clubs done recently?

Staying on the same land is a move Tottenham made when they built their new stadium. Spurs left their old White Hart Lane ground in 2016, spending almost three seasons at Wembley before returning to their new 61,000-seater stadium in early 2019.

One issue is that Old Trafford is situated between a railway line and a canal, making the logistics relatively challenging. While Brentford managed to overcome a similar challenge for their Gtech Community Stadium in 2020, their stadium is much smaller, holding just 17,000 fans.

The renovation of the Aviva Stadium on Lansdowne Road in Dublin also brought challenges with regard to the railway line, with a line running along the west side of the stadium. That renovation was completed in 2010.

And the big question…how much would that cost?

The Daily Telegraph reported that expanding Old Trafford would cost United around £800 million, while a new stadium would cost around £1.5 to £2 billion.

According to Spurs owner Daniel Levy in a November 2020 interview, Tottenham’s new stadium cost the club around £1.2 billion.

As part of his £1.2 billion deal to buy a stake in United, Ratcliffe is investing £239 million in the club to help strengthen its infrastructure. Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim, who challenged Ratcliffe in the race to control United, was prepared to donate £1.27 billion for the same work.

Funding has been a key consideration for the taskforce and a wide range of potential private funding sources will be explored. There may be opportunities for public-private partnerships to drive regeneration of the area.

Greater Manchester Mayor Burnham said earlier this year: “Whatever they (Ratcliffe and INEOS) want, we will facilitate it and be there to ensure the club is fit for the future.”