MAN UNITED
Man United formally declared their intention to relocate to a new stadium and abandon Old Trafford, where they have played for over a century.
Former manager Sir Alex Ferguson has endorsed the plan, which was revealed on Tuesday. With 100,000 seats, the venue would overtake Wembley as the largest in the UK.
It comes after a number of fan consultations and the Old Trafford Regeneration Task force’s proposals, which were established more than a year ago.
Redeveloping the current stadium was the alternative, but the 20-time English champions have chosen to relocate. According to a source who spoke to ESPN, the team will not have to go to Old Trafford to play while the repair is being done.
Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe stated on Tuesday that “today marks the start of an immensely exciting adventure to create what will be the finest football stadium in the world, at the center of a rejuvenated Old Trafford.”
“After 115 years of excellent service, our present stadium has lagged behind the greatest stadiums in the world of sports.
“By constructing close to the current location, we will be able to maintain the character of Old Trafford while constructing a genuinely cutting-edge stadium that completely changes the fan experience just a short distance from our historic home.”
Established in 1910, Old Trafford can accommodate 76,000 people following its most recent extension in 2006. According to United’s plan, a new stadium with a maximum capacity of 100,000 would be constructed on the same site in Manchester, making it the largest stadium in the United Kingdom.
Plans to preserve Old Trafford as a home for the women’s squad and young teams were considered but ultimately shelved, according to sources who spoke to ESPN.
The construction of 17,000 new dwellings is part of a larger rehabilitation project that will include the new stadium.
The club’s decision to leave Old Trafford was deemed “brave” by Ferguson, United’s longest-serving manager.
Ferguson stated that Manchester United should constantly aim for excellence in all aspects of its operations, both on and off the field, including the stadium where we play.
“I myself have a lot of unique memories of Old Trafford, but we must have the courage to take advantage of this chance to create a new home that is fit for the future and where new history can be made.”
Days after thousands of United supporters demonstrated against the club’s ownership in response to cost reductions, increased ticket prices, and continued on-field failure, the news was made.
The American Glazer family, who also own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, owns the majority of United.
Ratcliffe promised to bring the once-dominant team back to the top of European football after they had not won the Premier League in over ten years.
However, his first year as operations manager has been tumultuous. United, who are now wallowing in the bottom half of the rankings, had their lowest Premier League season last year and are on track to reach a new low this season.
According to United, the arena would provide £7.3 billion ($9.4 billion) to the U.K. economy as part of a larger initiative to revitalize the Old Trafford neighborhood. Although it is unknown how the project will be financed, the U.K. government has officially stated that it supports it.
The designer is Norman Foster, a British architect.
With a 90,000-seat capacity, Wembley is now the largest stadium in the United Kingdom and is the home of the England national football team.
The national rugby team’s home field, Twickenham, has a capacity of 82,500.
The largest dedicated football stadium in the nation, Old Trafford, is out of date when compared to venues like London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which frequently hosts NFL games.
