Manchester United have made progress on their plan to build a 100,000-seater stadium, but football finance expert Kieran Maguire has highlighted some potential issues with the capacity.
After months of negotiations, Manchester United secured land for their state-of-the-art stadium project.
It was a major milestone for the project, which is now inching closer to beginning construction. United’s plan is to build a 100,000-seater stadium that will replace Old Trafford.
The cost of the stadium is expected to exceed £2 billion and the completion date has been pushed back to around 2035.
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Kieran Maguire’s concern about Man United stadium capacity
Old Trafford is already the biggest English club stadium in size with a capacity of 74,197.
Speaking on The Price of Football podcast, Kieran Maguire explained why growing to a capacity of 100,000 will come at financial costs as well as potential issues for match-going fans.
“They’re still talking about it being a 100,000 capacity stadium. We’re watching the World Cup and the stadiums are amazing, and they look incredible. But none are 100,000, and there’s a reason for that,” Maguire said.
“100,000 seater stadiums are a bit rubbish. By the time you put away enough space for hospitality and corporate, when you squeeze everyone else in, the view is very poor and the cost of construction for the final 10,000 is prohibitive.
“So it does seem to be a bit of a vain, glorious exercise in my opinion. Manchester United will attract a fantastic crowd regardless of the size of the stadium.
“But some people are going to be short-changed in terms of what they will get. Anybody who has been to see matches at the London Stadium at the back end will know. I know West Ham fans who say that is not what they signed up for.”
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Man United must prioritise fan experience at new stadium
Moving to a new stadium has not always resulted in the best on-pitch results for clubs.
Tottenham have struggled at their new stadium, Everton’s home results at the Hill Dickinson were concerning last season and West Ham suffered relegation just years after moving into the London Stadium.
Ineos are designing the new stadium stands to be steep and with acoustics in mind to help maximise the atmosphere at the new venue, but Maguire’s concerns are valid.
READ MORE: Five questions Manchester United fans are asking about the new stadium after land acquisition deal
Unlike the London Stadium, United’s new ground will be designed with football at its heart. But it is important that all 100,000 match-going fans are prioritised to get a good view of the action.
Prioritising hospitality over season ticket holders will only result in more protests and complaints.
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