Often regarded as one of the most cherished football stadiums in the world, the Old Trafford home of Manchester United is getting ready for the next phase in its enduring history. Originally opened in 1909, the venue was designed by famed Scottish architect Archibald Leitch, the man credited with planning various iconic sporting venues during the same era.
Over 112 years later and after numerous renovations and expansions, the current owners of Manchester United are preparing to undertake the next upgrade, as the club seeks to further elevate capacity and enhance the fan experience. The latter is perhaps the most important element surrounding plans for the future of this venue, given the pressing need for modernisation at Old Trafford.
Years of unfulfilled proposals
The club hierarchy appears to be serious about the work needed, following more than a decade of consultations, accompanied by cautious evaluations regarding the possible cost implications. Several years ago, tentative steps were taken towards pricing the investment required to demolish and rebuild the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand (AKA: South Stand), which at the time proved to be prohibitively expensive.
One idea was to emulate the capacity and appearance of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand (AKA: North Stand), amidst the possibility of raising overall stadium capacity in excess of 90,000 seats. However, the complexities involved were prohibitively expensive, factoring in the railway line which runs directly adjacent to this side of the stadium, along with houses just further beyond.
Some estimates for that idea projected costs in excess of £700 million, which the club simply wasn’t prepared to spend, considering the heavy debt financing that would be required. Nevertheless, improvements in modern architecture and construction techniques may reduce the cost of expanding Old Trafford, which is why a full analysis is currently underway.
The last major work undertaken at Old Trafford was in 2006 on the north-west and north-east quadrants of the stadium, which had already been approved prior to the Glazer family takeover. Any future upgrades will be the first major enhancement of the stadium under their ownership, having also considered the possibility of rebuilding Old Trafford entirely or even relocating, amongst other options.
Preparing a viable upgrade project
Current capacity at Old Trafford is 74,140 seats, while there are estimated to be more than 100,000 fans on the season ticket waiting list, indicating there is clearly a huge demand amongst fans of Manchester United for another stadium increase. Interestingly, any proposals towards building a new venue have been brushed aside, as the club looks towards revamping the venue with fresh ideas and impetus.
In April of this year, Manchester United appointed two notable companies to consult throughout the planning process. These were Legends International, specialists in sports entertainment organisations and venues, along with American architecture experts Populus, a company with vast experience designing high profile international sporting venues
.
Early estimates project that Manchester United could spend more than £200 million, focusing primarily on the capacity increase, infrastructure and fan experience improvements, plus overdue enhancements require for corporate facilities. Populus MD Christopher Lee has labelled Old Trafford as “one of the four mythical stadiums in the world,” while acknowledging the huge weight of responsibility for such an important project, for the club and its fans.
“In many ways the fans are as much our clients as the ownership. They’re the ones we have to keep happy. When you consider iconic stadiums like Old Trafford, being able to redevelop them and continue that legacy is a huge, huge honour,” enthused Lee. Formal proposals are expected to be ready by September at the very latest, before Manchester United make final decisions about how and when to undertake the next expansion.
Transformation and transition at Old Trafford
Along with the proposed stadium upgrades, Manchester United is also currently under a period of transformation sportingly, following the arrival of Erik ten Hag as the new first team head coach. The 52-year-old Dutchman is expected to undertake a comprehensive rebuild of the entire squad, aiming to establish a new legacy based around teamwork and togetherness, which is clearly something the Red Devils have lacked in recent years.
Welcoming of the new management regime, fans are also conscious that important and profound transformations will inevitably take time, both in terms of the stadium upgrades and the sporting focus of the football team. Bookmakers are somewhat cautious about how quickly thigs will improve, although for honest reviews of sports betting sites and full analysis of what they have to offer, SBO experts always take an unbiased and holistic approach.
The latter is actually the stance Ten Hag will apparently take, whilst undertaking a complete evaluation of the club infrastructure to suit his own staffing needs, along with planning what changes are needed to make the first team squad more competitive. Manchester United are not expected to compete immediately for the Premier League title, with steady and sustained improvement the priority next season.
