Manchester United have announced plans for a new 100,000-seater stadium that co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe says would be the “world’s greatest” football ground.
The Premier League club have been examining whether to redevelop their Old Trafford home or build a new stadium in the same area in conjunction with the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force.
United have now confirmed their “intention to pursue a new 100,000-seater stadium as the centrepiece of the regeneration of the Old Trafford area” as they throw their “support behind the Government’s growth agenda”.
Scaled models and conceptual images for how the new Old Trafford and surrounding area could look like were revealed on Tuesday morning at the London headquarters of architects Foster + Partners, appointed in September to design the stadium district.
‘Today marks the start of an incredibly exciting journey to the delivery of what will be the world’s greatest football stadium, at the centre of a regenerated Old Trafford,’ Ratcliffe said.
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‘Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport.
‘By building next to the existing site, we will be able to preserve the essence of Old Trafford, while creating a truly state-of-the-art stadium that transforms the fan experience only footsteps from our historic home.
‘Just as important is the opportunity for a new stadium to be the catalyst for social and economic renewal of the Old Trafford area, creating jobs and investment not just during the construction phase but on a lasting basis when the stadium district is complete.
‘The Government has identified infrastructure investment as a strategic priority, particularly in the north of England, and we are proud to be supporting that mission with this project of national, as well as local, significance.’
More to follow…
