Earlier this year, Manchester United announced that they had created a new task force to explore options for a new Old Trafford. At the heart of the plans were proposals to either completely renovate Old Trafford or to demolish it and build a new stadium on the same land.
The Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force features local and national figures as new co-owners, INEOS, look to not only develop the club's stadium but the surrounding area, too. The task force is chaired by Lord Seb Coe, a key figure behind London's 2012 Olympic bid, and its members include Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, Sara Todd, Chief Executive of Trafford Council, and Gary Neville.
New Old Trafford – Latest update as club lean towards new stadium
After months of speculation and task force meetings, reports in the media suggest that the club have decided to build a new stadium instead of redeveloping the existing Old Trafford.
While the official line from the club is that nothing is set in stone, it is understood that they have decided to build a new stadium on the land adjacent to Old Trafford and that confirmation will come before the end of the year.
The reported cost of the new stadium will be around £2bn, which is significantly more than what it would cost to renovate the current Old Trafford. However, the idea of building a new 100,000-seater stadium that would regenerate the area has proven too tempting to turn down.
The club believe that they will be able to carry on playing at Old Trafford while the stadium is built next door, negating the need to find a temporary home.
It is understood that if the club had chosen to renovate the existing stadium then the capacity would have temporarily been slashed to 40,000 which would have caused a serious dent in matchday revenue. Meanwhile, it would have left several thousand season ticket holders unable to watch United every other week.
Club officials have been visiting several top stadiums around the world in recent months including the Bernabeu in Madrid. However, they are said to have been most impressed by the Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles and that it will be the inspiration for the new Old Trafford.
Early reports suggest the new stadium will be built in time for 2030.
Ratcliffe is driving change already
The ultimate aim is to build a new stadium that can not only act as a home to Man Utd but also one that can host international games and cup finals with Sir Jim Ratcliffe keen on making Old Trafford the “Wembley of the north”.
Earlier this year, Ratcliffe explained why the task force had been set up. He said:
“This can be a major regeneration project for an area of Greater Manchester which has played such a key role in British industrial history, but which today requires new investment to thrive again. The north-west of England has a greater concentration of major football clubs than anywhere else in the world, yet we don’t have a stadium on the scale of Wembley, the Nou Camp or the Bernabéu.
“We will not be able to change that on our own, which is why this task force is so important to help us seize this once-in-a-century opportunity.”
