Rather than redeveloping the existing Old Trafford home, Manchester United intends to build a new stadium with a capacity of 100,000.
United announced their ambitious plans on Tuesday, with London-based construction company Fosters+ Partners being selected to lead the project.
The New Build will be located on the land surrounding Old Trafford as part of a wider regeneration of the Trafford Wharfside area. In a press release, the club said the new stadium and regeneration projects could provide an additional £7.3 billion ($9.7 billion) for the local economy, create 92,000 job opportunities, build more than 17,000 new homes and drive 1.8 million visitors a year.
The Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, established to review options for the stadium and regeneration project, held its final meeting on Friday before stopping.
Digital rendering of what the new stadium and surrounding area will look like was revealed by Foster + Partners on Tuesday. These included three stadium canopies inspired by the club's badge Red Devils Trident. The conceptual imagery and scaled models will provide “a master plan for more detailed feasibility, consultation, design and planning tasks as the project enters new stages,” the club said.
It was determined that the redeveloped Old Trafford's capabilities could be as high as 87,000, but it turns out that the new build could accommodate as many as 100,000 supporters.
Last year, a survey of United supporters identified 52% of fans asked to support building a new stadium from scratch, and 31% preferred redevelopment.
“Today marks the beginning of a very exciting journey to delivering the world's largest football stadium in the heart of reclaimed Old Trafford,” said Ir Jim Ratcliffe, co-owner of the club, in the release.
“Our current stadiums have served us beautifully for the past 115 years, but are lagging behind the best arenas in world sports. Building next to existing sites allows us to preserve the essence of Old Trafford while at the same time creating a truly cutting-edge stadium that transforms the fan experience only footsteps from historic homes,” Latliff said.
“Equally important is the opportunity for the new stadium to catalyze social and economic renewal of the Old Trafford area, creating jobs and investments not only on the construction phase but also on a permanent basis for the stadium district to be completed. The government has identified infrastructure investment, particularly in the north of England, as a strategic priority, and is proud to support this mission with national projects and local importance.”
Ratcliffe is hoping for a “five-year project” with “modular builds” along with the planned “modular builds” where the structure will be built elsewhere and shipped.
(Manchester United/Foster + Partner)
The task force presented an option report earlier this year, looking into the benefits of both new builds and redevelopment stadiums.
The report concluded that both options “provide transformative benefits at Club, Trafford and beyond,” but that these benefits are “amplified under the new build options.”
“Our long-term goal as a club is to play the world's best football teams in the world's best stadiums,” said CEO Omar Bellada. “We are grateful that the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force may explore options for Old Trafford's future.
“We carefully reviewed the findings, along with the opinions of thousands of fans and local residents, concluded that the new stadium is the right way for Manchester United and our surrounding communities. Now we'll embark on further consultations so that fans and residents continue to be heard as we move towards the final decision.”
(Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Irish Alex Ferguson, the club's legendary former manager and winner of 13 Premier League titles, said:
Funding remains an important question mark, with the newly constructed stadium estimated to cost more than £2 billion. As reported by Athletic In June, United will consider selling the naming rights of new homes to help pay for the project.
“As a PLC, we can't make much guesses about fundraising,” Berrada said in a briefing with a London reporter following the announcement on Tuesday. “What I say is that it is a very attractive investment opportunity. I'm sure there will be a way to fund the stadium.”
The Manchester United Supporters Trust (required) welcomed the plan, but increased concerns and needs for consultation with fans as the project was formed.
“The announcement of plans to build a brand new stadium adjacent to Old Trafford is clearly a huge news for United fans. Everyone wants the biggest and best for our club, and the visuals look both spectacular and exciting. But against the background of uncertainty about ticket prices next year, slow performance on the ground, speculations about selling key young players, and background to recent financial results, the news probably asks more questions than give a clear answer,” the must-see spokesman said.
“This could be very exciting if they can produce as great new stadiums as the plans suggest, without hiking ticket prices, or hiking investments elsewhere. But until we answer the question, our optimism about the plan to make Old Trafford the biggest and best is thwarted by our attention to what the outcome is from fans.”
“The main question is how this is paid.”
Analysis by Manchester United correspondent Laurie Whitwell
This result was tracked as soon as Ratcliffe walked through the doors of Old Trafford. In Los Angeles last July, the Senior United figure spoke about the possibility that the new stadium could reach 100,000 capabilities, and Ratcliffe's desire was clear.
There is certainly a appeal among the “New Trafford” fanbase – especially in the urban regeneration plan – but the vision is not unanimous and it makes me sad that there is a ground left behind, where so many people hold so many memories.
That being said, Ferguson's support for the project was cut as ambassador, but it's worth noting, considering he created so many moments that were engraved in the club's awareness.
The main issue is how you pay for your build. It is to acquire more debt, either through sponsorships or through cash injected by INEOS. In this scenario, ticket prices seem inevitable, but care must be taken to avoid raising the price of fans.
(Manchester United/Foster + Partner)
The actual design of the stadium is also important. Old Trafford has a character and history for all of its mistakes. Many clubs struggle when moving to new stadiums. Can I keep some of the architecture?
Ratcliffe welcomes the Bernabéu in Real Madrid and the Camp Nou in Barcelona, but both of these sites have been renovated at the original site.
“We've been working hard to get the better of our customers,” said Norman Foster Lord, Foster + Partners founder. The stadium is included in protecting a vast umbrella, energy and rainwater harvesting and a new public square twice the size of Trafalgar Square. ”
I feel that bringing supporters closer to the pitch is essential to maintaining a relationship with the action.
However, the rendering issued by United is a dramatic shift from the current stadium and is very divisive. The tent on the ground strikes as a strange juxtaposition in the landscape and what has come before.
Naming rights transactions and more debt?
Analysis by senior football news reporter Matt Slater
“Naming rights transactions are like club free money, and those who don't have them simply leave money at the table,” said Michael Weaver, a sponsorship transaction expert who leads the assessment advisory team at Kroll's London office. Athletic. “To see it, you just look at the United States, where almost every stadium is named after a sponsor.
“If Manchester United sells naming rights to Old Trafford, our analysis suggests they will earn around £15 million a year, but we can double that for the new stadium. For example, for a decade, a naming rights transaction would cover a significant portion of the construction costs and allow them to borrow money for the rest at a better interest rate. I don't know why they don't make naming rights transactions.”
Who or what would suit United's new home? Does anyone even use a new name?
These questions are hard to answer, and United fans are split, but Arsenal fans are used to the Emirates and it appears that Manchester City fans are fine with calling their home Etihad.
(Manchester United/Foster + Partner)
“Manchester United are already actively associated with INEO, so Ineos may be a more attractive sponsor than anyone else, suggesting that Ratcliffe's company is fully committed and will be in it for a long time,” suggests Weaver.
“Our research suggests that British fans are no longer in contrast to right-right transactions. Fans are more financially literate at clubs and know what they need to compete on the pitch, especially if they are against rivals backed by sovereign wealth funds. All the juices need to be squeezed out.”
So, naming right-wing deals are useful, but what about the rest?
“It's going to be very expensive,” says Tim Williams, who was United's group financial controller until 2015. There is no shortage of global banks and private corporations who want to lend United money, but it will be interesting to see how much they borrow and where their debts are.
“Debt is a very stressful term at United, but it is usually better to place stadium debt in a club's book or a club subsidiary. The separation of clubs and stadiums rarely works in the long run.”
(Top photo: Manchester United/Foster + Partner)
