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Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly prepared to submit plans to build a new stadium for the club before the end of the year.
Instead of renovating Old Trafford, Ratcliffe and Manchester mayor Andy Burnham are exploring plans to build a new stadium from scratch in the nearby area.
The current state of Old Trafford has come in for criticism from many, as the 114-year-old stadium has been accused of being outdated and not fit for purpose for a club of Man United’s stature.
No renovation work has taken place on the stadium since 2006, when an additional 8,000 seats were added, as issues such a leaky roofs have garnered some unwanted attention in recent months.
‘New Trafford’ to begin construction in 2025?
Ratcliffe’s audacious plans are backed by Burnham, who has described the project as something that could be “the biggest regeneration scheme ever seen in this country.”
The mayor has spoken of his intentions of transforming the western part of Manchester in similar fashion to how Manchester City’s Etihad Campus has revolutionised the east area of the city.
The Manchester Evening News claim that Man United’s new proposed 100,000-seater stadium will be the central feature of a regeneration project that could take place across the entirety of Trafford Park, and building work could begin as early as next summer.
Expected to cost in the region of £2bn, new homes, transport links and commercial areas are also set to be included in the scheme.
Former United legend Gary Neville has also been very vocal about the need for a solution to this debate, and he has backed plans for a new stadium, stating that Old Trafford is not at an adequate standard anymore.
Not all of the Man United fan base appear to be on board with a potential switch though, as the club are believed to have asked 30,000 fans about what to do, resulting in roughly a 50-50 split on staying or moving.
What do we know about ‘New Trafford’?
The decision to build a new stadium rather than redevelop Old Trafford was made after a number of fact-finding missions to other stadiums including the Bernabeu and Nou Camp, while also taking influence from Tottenham Hotspur’s new ground.
Architects Foster & Partners, the people behind the building of Wembley, are the company who are set to be in charge, and the target is for the entire project to be completed by 2030, while the stadium could be open as early as 2028.
The new stadium would be built on land adjacent to the Red Devils’ current home, and there are plans to keep Old Trafford standing rather than to demolish it and use it as a scaled down second venue, but it is looking increasingly likely that it will in fact be entirely demolished.
Another Premier League outfit moving into a new stadium imminently is Everton, and they are choosing to renovate Goodison Park into a community hub for the club’s charity, when they move to their new venue on the Bramley-Moore Dock.