Manchester United have provided more details on their plans to regenerate or replace Old Trafford stadium.
The Red Devils are hopeful their ideas for a new stadium can become a reality and have outlined their initial plans.
A task force led by Lord Sebastian Coe have looked into possibilities relating to new or redeveloped Old Trafford stadium and have released some breathtaking findings.
Old Trafford could become second-largest stadium in UK
Old Trafford is not only one of England’s most iconic stadiums — it’s also one of the biggest.
The Red Devils’ home stadium currently seats 74,000 supporters but the United owners want to increase that capacity to 87,000.
Here is where the new Old Trafford would rank among the UK’s largest stadiums if plans went ahead.
| Stadium | Location | Capacity |
| Wembley Stadium | London, England | 90,000 |
| New Old Trafford | Manchester, England | 87,000 |
| Twickenham Stadium | London, England | 82,000 |
| Principality Stadium | Cardiff, Wales | 73,931 |
| Murrayfield Stadium | Edinburgh, Scotland | 67,144 |
| Tottenham Hotspur Stadium | London, England | 62,850 |
| London Stadium | London, England | 62,500 |
| Anfield Stadium | Liverpool, England | 61,276 |
| Emirates Stadium | London, England | 60,704 |
| Celtic Park | Glasgow, Scotland | 60,411 |
There are also plans to redevelop the ground’s surrounding area. A spokesperson for the report said: “An extra £7.3 billion gross value added to the UK economy and more than 90,000 employment opportunities”
Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, has also confirmed that he intends to put together a new body to expedite the project.
“It’s all about removing the freight terminals, and the freight that comes through Manchester city centre right behind Old Trafford,” he told BBC Radio Manchester. “It’s not going to be just United supporters, every rail passengers in the north west will benefit from removal of that freight from our city centre.”
Trafford Council are also included in the plans as they have a target to provide 5,000 new homes.
Fans have their say
The fans have spoken and it’s good news for Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who has wanted to build a ‘Wembley of the North’ ever since he became the club’s minority shareholder.
A group of 50,000 Manchester United season-ticket holders were asked for their thoughts on the plans — the majority said they were in favour of a new, or redeveloped, stadium.
Adding to the positive feedback, Lord Coe said the plans would could lead to “one of the biggest regeneration projects ever undertaken in the UK”.
Manchester United are expected to decide their exact approach around summertime.
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