is one of the most famous stadiums in the world. Built in 1910, it is steeped in history. From the Stretford End to the away end cramped in the corner, the home of is a sacred place in the world of football. However, it desperately needs change. Ever since the Glazer family took control of
Manchester United in 2005, they have not improved the facilities at the stadium. It has led to several issues around the stadium. Yet now that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are in majority control of the footballing side, they have major plans to help Old Trafford - maybe even save it. on 13th February 2024. Alongside their plans to try and win the , Old Trafford is a huge part of their manifesto, all in an attempt to win fans over. Here at GIVEMESPORT, this article goes through everything you need to know about the future plans for Old Trafford and why it is needed so much. Old Trafford currently has a capacity of 74,310. It is the biggest stadium in the
Premier League — and only is bigger in England. The home of English
Football will never be topped due to its fame and size, but Man United want to attempt to match it with the 'Wembley of the North'. It's unlikely Old Trafford would ever have an arch or look like Wembley, but the saying goes that they want it to be the heart of football in the north, epitomising the ambition Ratcliffe and INEOS have. Currently, it is not clear if Man United will build a new stadium entirely or look to refurbish Old Trafford. Either way, it will likely be spectacular. According to the , Ratcliffe is against the idea of relocating the club but feels supporters will be behind a stadium move if they stay within the same land. Fans don't need to worry about tracking miles away. The plan would be to have a stadium with a 90,000 capacity and they have already spoken with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to gain an understanding of the approval of potential plans in the future. Man United own a large section of land around Old Trafford. They own around 100 acres of land around Old Trafford, 43 acres of that land is ripe for development. Around 25 acres are said to be unused. Therefore, there is a potential for them to stay in the same area. However, they are also restricted by a railway line and a canal on either side, so any potential relocation would be a tight squeeze in the same area. Clubs have overcome these challenges over the years, including Brentford when building the Gtech Community Stadium — and it showcases the struggles of either building or improving a stadium. To get an understanding of the current issues at Old Trafford, cast your mind back to the chant starting with: Quite literally, it is falling down.
Manchester City brutally used the chant when they claimed the Manchester bragging rights in October 2023, whilst fans then carried on the chant when they knocked Erik ten Hag's club out of the Carabao Cup in the following days. It went viral on
Social Media and encapsulates the issues with Old Trafford. The stadium hasn't been upgraded in any major form since 2006 when 8,000 seats were added to the second tiers to both the north-west and north-east quadrants. The issues with Old Trafford have been well-documented over the years. Videos of run-down parts of the ground have circulated, - partially due to the uncertainty around the stadium's future but also due to poor standards. One of the worst issues is the leaking roof. Every match when it is raining, there seems to be an image of fans having an unenjoyable time at the stadium due to the rain. On paper, it seems like a quick fix, but, according to the , at the end of 2023, they might struggle to fix it because of the struggles with hiring cranes over the railway line behind. , Man United journalist Andy Mitten provided an analysis of the issues: "The main stand does need doing, so does the roof, but the exterior of the stadium needs doing too. It looks a little bit red in different areas and there are fundamental issues with Old Trafford which are not great. The legroom is notorious in the stadium," he stated. "The designs of stadiums have changed since then, when they first designed stadiums and the legroom is still the same now. It's a beautiful stadium, Old Trafford - but I'm not a fan of the roof because I think it comes in too low. Old Trafford shouldn't be getting smaller, it should be getting bigger. It's important that you have pride in where you play and Old Trafford is an amazing stadium." According to the , redevelopment of the existing ground and expansion of the south stand would be estimated to cost at least £800 million and it was cited internally as an eight-year project, while a new stadium could cost around £1.5 billion-£2 billion. Either way, it's going to be expensive. Premier League rivals spent over £1 billion on their state-of-the-art stadium in N17, which is now seen as one of the best stadiums in the world. For Man United, any debt would have to be serviced and repaid, but it would be a different prospect than the existing debt from the Glazers’ leveraged buyout as it would be going on a facility that would significantly increase the club’s revenues. Meanwhile, according to the , Man United could look to use public funds to help improve the facilities at the stadium. Via , Ratcliffe’s net worth stands at an astonishing £29.3bn, which makes him Britain’s second-richest man. In 2020, he moved his tax residence from Hampshire in
England to Monaco, meaning he now saves £4 billion a year in tax. If anything, it should help him have more funds to improve Old Trafford. If they do decide to try and use public investment, any approach to central government at Westminster could coincide with their 'levelling up' pledges. However, it is currently unclear how likely government investment would be. If it does not work, financial help could come in the form of tax breaks and relaxed planning regulations if the club agree to help redevelop the entire area from the Manchester Ship Canal to the
BBC MediaCity. If the redevelopment does likely happen, the club will have experienced people in charge. INEOS are one of the most efficient companies in the world. Not just in the world of sport with OGC Nice and their cycling team, but also in building new infrastructure. They are currently in the process of building a new £5 billion chemical plant in Antwerp,
Belgium. However, an agreement would need to be reached with the Glazer family if they proceed. However, according to the , the Glazers are understood to be happy to let INEOS take the lead. As previously mentioned, the most recent Premier League clubs to build a new stadium have been
Tottenham and Brentford. Tottenham chose to build a new stadium on the same land, whilst playing at Wembley for a season and a half. Meanwhile, Brentford chose to relocate a mile away but they built it in a compact place next to a railway, proving Man Utd could do so. In Europe, and both chose to refurbish their stadiums instead of moving. , whilst the Camp Nou is still in the process of being completed. It kept the history and prestige at the stadiums whilst also providing a modern and sleek look. Both clubs might inspire Man Utd as they look to move into the modern day at Old Trafford.