To rebuild or not rebuild, that was the question.
And the Manchester United Strength has already presented an emphatic response – that the next act in the club’s famous history would be better served by the demolition of Old Trafford and building a new 100,000 home in adjacent lands.
The club confirmed the decision on Tuesday and revealing the plans of the architect of his new Super Stadium on a new site.
For a certain age, whose memories are dominated by memories of Long -sleeved George Slaloming from the touch line, a Stretford final, which is roaring his heroes to victory against Barcelona on a strident of the 80s and even the invasion of Denis Law coast, may be a swallow of Shakespean to companies.
But the reasoning seems to be solid. The group, which included Andy Burnham, Lord Coe and Gary Neville, was invited to examine the options, and although a final decision is not made by the end of this season, his message was clear.
Stay in Old Trafford, standing from 1910, and you can only go from 74,000 to 87,000. Build a new stadium and not only do you reach 100,000, but also unlock one of the biggest regeneration projects in Britain’s history. The benefit of a new construction in his words would be “amplified.”
The recommendation is made in a simple 13 page document that may well offer a milestone in British sports history. The imaginatively entitled ‘Options Report’, which ‘establishes a unique opportunity in a generation of transforming the historic industrial machinery room of the Great Manchester into a new vibrant driver of growth and innovation in sports, entertainment, business and education’.
United has already expressed its opinion that a world -class stadium that will act as a broader regeneration catalyst ‘in the surrounding area, and the report again states that such a movement could deliver £ 7.3 billion to the UK economy and 92,000 jobs.
The Manchester United Strength made the important decision to move away from Old Trafford after months of deliberation
The historic stadium has been the place of numerous past glories, but the club is preparing for a new future
The group making the decision included a series of high -level figures, including Andy Burnham (left) and Lord Sebastian Coe
The club played in Old Trafford 115 years ago. Globally recognized, it is a sillied game cathedral in history. A new home would probably be projected by award -winning architect Lord Norman Foster, a close friend of Ratcliffe, who is currently overseeing the reformulation of United’s Carrington Training Base. Would become a new milestone. It would also present significant nods for the club’s past, including a tribute to those who lost their lives in the 1958 Munich air disaster.
Ratcliffe said the club will meet the estimated cost of 2 billion pounds of the stadium itself. However, it is expected that the broader project will be a mixture of private, commercial and public financing.
The option to rebuild Old Trafford would initially cost about half price to about 1 billion pounds, however, would be full of problems. Unlike Tottenham, United would not enjoy the luxury of being able to remain in its existing home while its new stadium is being built. They also do not have an obvious place to move.
For this purpose, the work would have to be done on stage, with large soil sections closed during the season. This scenario would result in significant revenue losses and a substantial loss of support alongside Ruben Amorim, with the current 74,000 years reduced reduced dramatically.
Although any work uses the latest technology, there is a concern that the original foundations would remain and that repairs ongoing continue to represent expensive problems.
As part of the feasibility work, more than 50,000 fans were surveyed. More than 90 % were “positive about the ambition to deliver a world -class stadium into the heart of a regenerated stadium district.” The data also found 52 % preferred a reconstruction. The reconstruction was favored at 31 %, with 17 % insecure.
The richest man in Britain, Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Images of how the new stadium might seem were released by United and created by Foster + Partners, the architect company that designed Wembley Stadium
Britain’s richest man, Ratcliffe, whose investment by almost 30 % in his childhood club was confirmed in January, was a driving force on the subject.
Its petrochemical company, Ineos, has experience in providing vast projects, such as a £ 5 billion factory in Antwerp, which is currently underway.
Upon arrival, United embarked on a broad cost cutting exercise, as Mail Sport revealed, 250 redundancies made between departments.
Although the goal is to create a leaner business, align United’s swollen workforce with Premier League rivals and releasing money to spend on the first team, taking the club back to profitability would not cause their chances to build a new stadium. Despite record revenues of £ 661.8m, United lost £ 113.2 million in 2023-24. Payment would be made in stages and any extra resources generated by the club would allow extra investments.
Private and commercial investment partners would also be sought for the broader project with public money – if it is close – probably in large infrastructure. United says a new ‘District of the Stadium’, which would turn vast lanes of land that extended to Manchester’s ships and linked the area to MediaCity, the BBC’s house, align with the government’s growth mission.
One -question is the existence of a freight terminal and a land line behind the end of Stretford. Making the terminal out of the area would create space and the potential to create a new large passenger transport center for Manchester, which could be attractive when looking for government funding.
Although Ratcliffe and Ineos do not want public money for the stadium and be aware that the club would need to pay for its own site, help can come to create a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) – a statutory body that would have the power to acquire and develop land and be the new infrastructure ahead.
If the MDC existed, it could play a key role in accelerating a process that would signal the end of an era.
Famously, Old Trafford was built near the then common docks, allowing thousands of workers a short trip to watch his team. He was bombarded by Luftwaffe in World War II and the damage forced United to share with Rivals City in Maine Road. In fact, a happy spin-off of any option would see United ‘recover’ his record at home record. Currently, the 81,962 who saw them playing in Arsenal were put at Maine Road in 1948, while repairs were being performed.
Old Trafford also features a poignant Munich watch, which is stopped at the time of the disaster, and a tunnel of Munich, which runs under the booth of Sir Bobby Charlton. Both form an essential part of the annual celebration ceremonies. It is difficult to see a world in which similar taxes do not appear as part of a reconstruction.
There are also statues of Sir Alex Ferguson, Jimmy Murphy and the Holy Trinity of Charlton, George Best and Denis Law, who could be quickly relocated. United has created a focus group with fans to ensure that Old Trafford’s inheritance and history are captured in any new construction.
United had already sautéed a reconstruction of the existing stadium and also a removal
Characteristics on the floor, such as the Poignant Munich Clock, could still be incorporated into the design of the new stadium
As Mail Sport previously reported, a new stadium could present a ‘red wall’ version of the famous yellow wall of a layer in Borussia Dortmund. This would also allow a huge update for the club’s corporate offer. Currently, the demand far exceeds the offer, with some hospitality gamblers of the journey hosted in the Old Trafford cricket field before reaching the football stadium.
The project would also allow a transformation around the ground with a new hotel, club store and museum that would probably be part of the plans. On a daily basis, tourists around the world visit Old Trafford and usually lack activities. In this front, United is currently losing a serious series of revenue.
The wider area would provide housing and commercial facilities, with Manchester currently enjoying significant economic growth. An educational and potentially university partner would also be likely.
United will make a decision before the end of the season. Hope is to allow work – as design, infrastructure and planning proposals – to start until the end of 2025.
The mayor of the great Manchester Burnham described the proposals as offering ‘the greatest opportunity for the urban regeneration that this country has seen since London 2012’. “They are an important part of our 10 -year plan for turbo growth not only in Old Trafford, but on Greater Manchester,” he added.
It is likely that any public financing meets the questions of some quarters, as some will realize United being the beneficiary and Burnham took action to address this argument. “Turning the area around Old Trafford will not only benefit the great Manchester,” he said. By starting to push the freight away from the site, we can lead a new life to underused industrial lands, open capacity in our rail network and unlock massive potential throughout the north. We are ready to advance and will work closely with the government, our advice and communities and the club to ensure that we get it right.
Lord Coe, who presided over the force, has thanked those involved ‘for their dedication to this important project, which will lead to significant growth not only for Trafford, but also for the great Manchester and also for the northwest of England’.
He added: ‘Collectively, we examined a wide range of options to produce a report that describes the huge opportunity that Manchester United and local authorities need to offer great economic and social growth. In the heart of the plan, there is a world -class soccer stadium that will act as a catalyst for one of the largest regeneration projects ever carried out in the UK. ‘
More consultations will occur now and United and those involved will be involved with the government. As stated earlier, much will depend on the freight terminal – but the current direction of the trip is far towards a new Old Trafford.
