Manchester United issue major stadium update for ‘New Trafford’
Manchester United has issued a stadium update after being forced into some changes surrounding their New Trafford site.
The new Old Trafford will sit approximately 350 metres north-west of the existing 74,000-capacity stadium, it was confirmed on Thursday, after the club said that it had snapped up a new 25-acre plot of land for their proposed 100,000-seater arena last month.
The club – largely owned by the ruling Glazer family and Ineos billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, alongside a number of public shares which trade on the NYSE – was unable to buy a key piece of land owned by rail company Freightliner, who have been in a stand-off with Manchester United over the price of their plot. The logistics firm reportedly wanted £400m.
But the club have now unveiled the new location of the stadium, which would be the biggest by capacity in Britain and feature three huge circus-like masts, as part of a wider reveal about the regeneration of the Trafford Wharfside area.
The new plans are, however, subject to change, and they do currently include office space planned for the Freightliner land.
Manchester United new plans
Chief executive of the newly-formed New Stadium Development firm, Colette Roche, said: “The proposed stadium site is ideally located alongside Old Trafford, enabling us to preserve the heritage, traditions and matchday rituals that are so important to our supporters.
“We are committed to building a world-class stadium with our supporters, not simply for them. Atmosphere, affordability and accessibility will remain at the heart of our plans, and we look forward to continuing our engagement with fans and other stakeholders as we move into the next phase of design and development.”
The developments had the support of former Greater Manchester Mayor, and the apparent incoming Prime Minister, Andy Burnham with public funding likely to be used for non-stadium purposes, such as office space, houses and retail outlets.
Labour’s candidate to replace Burnham, Bev Craig, is a Manchester United fan, while the current DCMS Secretary of State, Lisa Nandy, is an MP in Greater Manchester.