Inside Man United’s 100,000-seat £2bn ‘New Trafford’ plans which could start THIS YEAR, including the data that’s driving the decisions, a ‘stadium district’ and moving Munich tributes
To rebuild or not to rebuild, that was the question.
And Manchester United’s task force have now delivered an emphatic answer – that the next act in the club’s famous history would be better served by demolishing Old Trafford and building a new 100,000 home on adjacent land.
To some of a certain age, whose memories are dominated by memories of long-sleeved George Best slaloming in from the touchline, a packed Stretford End roaring its heroes to victory against Barcelona on a raucous 80s night and even of the pitch invasion triggered by Denis Law’s backheel, it may well be a tragedy of Shakesperean proportions.
But the reasoning appears to be sound. The group, which included Andy Burnham, Lord Coe and Gary Neville, were asked to examine the options and, while a final decision will not be made until the end of this season, their message was clear.
Stay at Old Trafford, standing since 1910, and you can only go from 74,000 to 87,000. Build a new stadium and not only do you get to 100,000, you unlock one of the biggest regeneration projects in Britain’s history. The benefit of a newbuild, in their words, would be ‘amplified’.
The recommendation is made in a simple, 13-page document that may well deliver a landmark in British sporting history. The imaginatively titled ‘Options Report’ which ‘sets out a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the historic industrial engine room of Greater Manchester into a vibrant new driver of growth and innovation in sports, entertainment, business, and education’. United have already voice their view that a world-class stadium which will ‘act as a catalyst for wider regeneration’ of the surrounding area, and the report again states that such a move could deliver £7.3bn to the UK economy and 90,000 jobs.
Manchester United’s task force have made the momentous decision to move away from Old Trafford after months of deliberation
The historic stadium has been the site of innumerable past glories but the club are preparing for a new future
The group making the decision has included a number of high-profile figures including Andy Burnham (left) and Lord Sebastian Coe
The club have played at Old Trafford for 115 years. Globally-recognised, it is a cathedral of the game drenched in history. A new home would be likely to de designed by the award-winning architect Lord Norman Foster, a close friend of Ratcliffe’s who is currently overseeing the revamp of United’s Carrington training base. It would become a new landmark. It would also feature significant nods to the club’s past, including a tribute to those who lost their lives in the Munich Air Disaster of 1958.
United bosses will make a final decision on rebuild or regeneration before the end of the summer. Ratcliffe has said that the club will meet the estimated £2bn cost of the stadium itself. However, it is hoped that the wider project would be a mix of private, commercial and public funding.
Choosing to instead redevelop Old Trafford would initially cost around half the price at around £1bn, however, it would be fraught with issues. Unlike Tottenham, United would not enjoy the luxury of being able to remain in their existing home while their new stadium is being built. They also do not have an obvious venue to move to. To that end, work would have to be carried out in stages, with large sections of the ground closed during the season. Such a scenario would result in significant revenue losses and a substantial loss of support for Ruben Amorim’s side, with the current 74,000-capacity reduced dramatically. While any work would use the latest technology, there is a concern that the original foundations would remain, and that ongoing repairs would continue to pose costly problems.
As part of the feasibility work, more than 50,000 fans were surveyed. More than 90 per cent were ‘positive about the ambition to deliver a world-class stadium at the heart of a regenerated stadium district’.
The data also found 52 per cent preferred a rebuild. Redevelopment was favoured by 31 per cent, with 17 per cent unsure.
Britain’s richest man Ratcliffe, whose investment for close to 30 per cent in his boyhood club was confirmed in January, has been a driving force in the matter.
Britain’s richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been a driving force in taking the mammoth next step
Images of what the new stadium could look like were released by United, and created by Foster + Partners, the architect firm who designed Wembley Stadium
His petrochemicals firm, INEOS, has experience in delivering vast projects, such as a £5bn plant in Antwerp, which is currently in the pipeline.
Following his arrival, United embarked on a wide-ranging cost-cutting exercise with, as Mail Sport revealed, 250 redundancies made across departments.
While the aim is to create a leaner business, bring United’s bloated workforce into line with Premier League rivals and free up cash to spend on the first team, getting the club back to profitability would do no harm to its chances of building a new stadium. Despite record revenues of £661.8m, United lost £113.2m in 2023-24. Payment would be made in steps, and any extra resources generated by the club would allow for extra investment.
Private investment and commercial partners would also be sought for the wider project, with public money – should it be forthcoming – likely to go on major infrastructure. United say a new ‘Stadium District’, that would transform vast swathes of land stretching to the Manchester Ship Canal and link the area to MediaCity, the home of the BBC, aligns with the government’s growth mission.
One key issue is the existence of a freight terminal and line on land behind the Stretford End. Moving the terminal out of the area would create space and the potential to create a new major passenger transport hub for Manchester, which could well prove attractive when seeking government funding. While Ratcliffe and INEOS do not want public cash for the stadium and are aware the club would need to pay for the venue itself, help may come in the creation of a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) – a statutory body which would have the power to acquire and develop land and being forward new infrastructure.
Should the MDC come to existence, it could play a key role in expediting a process that would signal the end of an era.
Famously, Old Trafford was built close to the then-standing docks, allowing thousands of workers a short trip to watch their team. It was bombed by the Luftwaffe in World War II and damage forced United to ground share with rivals City at Maine Road. Indeed, one happy spin-off of either option would see United ‘reclaim’ its record home attendance. Currently, the 81,962 who saw them play Arsenal was set at Maine Road in 1948, while repairs were being carried out.
Old Trafford also features a poignant Munich Clock, which is stopped at the time of the disaster, and a Munich Tunnel, which runs beneath the Sir Bobby Charlton stand. Both form a key part of annual commemoration ceremonies. It is hard to see a world in which similar tributes do not feature as part of a rebuild. There are also statues of Sir Alex Ferguson, Jimmy Murphy and the Holy Trinity of Charlton, George Best and Denis Law, which could be swiftly relocated. United have set up a focus group with fans to ensure the heritage and history of Old Trafford is captured in any new build.
United had previously mulled a redevelopment of the existing stadium as well as a move away
Features at the ground such as the poignant Munich Clock could yet be incorporated into the new stadium’s design
As Mail Sport previously reported, a new stadium could feature a ‘Red Wall’ version of the famous, one-tiered Yellow Wall at Borussia Dortmund. It would also allow for a huge upgrade to the club’s corporate offering. Currently, demand far outstrips supply, with some matchday hospitality punters being hosted at Old Trafford cricket ground before making their way to the football stadium.
The project would also allow for a transformation around the ground with a new hotel, club store and museum likely to form part of the plans. On a daily basis tourists from across the world visit Old Trafford and are often left short on activities. On that front, United are currently missing out on a serious chunk of revenue.
The wider area would provide housing and commercial premises, with Manchester currently enjoying significant economic growth. An education partner, and potentially a university, would also be likely.
United will make a decision before the end of the season. The hope is for enabling work – such as design, infrastructure and planning proposals – to start by the end of 2025.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Burnham described the proposals as offering ‘the biggest opportunity for urban regeneration this country has seen since London 2012’. ‘They are an important part of our 10-year plan to turbocharge growth not only around Old Trafford but across Greater Manchester,’ he added.
Any public funding is likely to meet questioning from some quarters, given some will perceive United to be the beneficiary and Burnham took steps to address that argument. ‘Transforming the area around Old Trafford won’t just benefit Greater Manchester,’ he said. ‘By beginning to move freight away from the site we can bring new life to underused industrial land, open up capacity on our rail network, and unlock massive potential across the whole of the north. We are ready to move forward and will be working closely with government, our councils and communities, and the club to make sure we get this right.’
Lord Coe, who chaired the task force, thanked those involved ‘for their dedication to this important project which will lead to significant growth not only for Trafford but for Greater Manchester and also the north west of England’.
He added: ‘Collectively we have examined a wide range of options to produce a report that outlines the huge opportunity that Manchester United, and the local authorities, have to deliver major economic and social growth. At the heart of the plan is a world-class football stadium which will act as a catalyst for one of the biggest regeneration projects ever undertaken in the UK.’
Further consultation will now take place and United and those involved will engage with the government. As previously stated, much will depend on the freight terminal – but the current direction of travel is very much in the direction of a new Old Trafford.
