Man United are reportedly looking at the SoFi Stadium in California as the blueprint for their new stadium built next to Old Trafford but it's another famous stadium in the USA that could hold the keys to ensuring United's hardcore support are satisfied with the new build.
When the New York Yankees moved into a brand-new stadium in 2008, ensuring the franchise's long and fabled history was part of their new home was at the heart of the plans.
Just beyond the centre field fences at Yankees Stadium is an area known as Monument Park, where monuments to the Yankees' past are held. In what is effectively an open-air museum, plaques dedicated to Babe Ruth and Miller Huggins can be found, and it should be of interest to Manchester United as they prepare for life away from Old Trafford.
What would an Old Trafford Monument Park look like?
The design of a football stadium is very different from that of a Baseball stadium, so it would be impossible to have a direct copy of Monument Park at the new Old Trafford, at least in terms of location.
However, there is no reason why a similar sort of area couldn't be erected outside the stadium. Not only would it show the fans that the club do care about the legends of the past and what's come before but it would also provide fans with a place to visit before a match.
For starters, this could be a place for the three statues that are currently dotted around Old Trafford to move to when the old stadium is demolished. At present, United have a statue of Sir Matt Busby at the front of the stadium and across the way from Sir Matt is a statue of the Holy Trinity – Sir Bobby Charlton, George Best and Denis Law.
Around the corner in front of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand is a statue of the man whom the stand is named after.
In addition to the three existing statues, the club could also move all the plaques and monuments relating to the Munich Air Disaster, which currently sit within the Munich tunnel near the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand, to a new Monument Park-like area.
The crew takes a stroll through Monument Park at Yankee Stadium 🫡👏
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Architects to consider Man Utd's history
The idea of a Monument Park or something similar is certainly being considered with the architects behind the design for the new stadium confirming that the existing statues and plaques around the Munich Air Disaster are a ‘non-negotiable'.
In terms of where they are placed, though, in the midst of the design is a mystery, but one of the architects behind the stadium design recently suggested a place for the Trinity Statue. Speaking to Man Utd, Patrick Campbell said:
“There's a 450-metre tree-lined route which links to the route coming from the cricket ground and Wharfside. So that’s maybe where we put the Trinity Statue so that just as today, it faces towards and honours the stadium.”