There could be change all around at Manchester United after fans signposted their desire for INEOS to help build a new stadium.
The Red Devils have occupied Old Trafford since 1910 and have developed capacity to 74,310 – making it the largest club stadium in England.
However, the Theatre of Dreams is not without its issues. This was clearly demonstrated during a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at the tail-end of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign as rainfall waterfalled off the edge of the roof between the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand and East Stand.
Perhaps a change in management after Erik ten Hag’s sacking might inspire further fixes in the red half of Manchester.
Man United fans make thoughts clear on Old Trafford
Ben Jacobs reported on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday morning that a Manchester United fan survey revealed supporters were largely in favour (52%) of building a new stadium.
Whether this equates to a viable majority in INEOS’ eyes remains to be seen. However, it will surely be a confidence boost to the organisation’s CEO, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is understood to be personally in favour of building a new stadium.
“If it can be achieved, it would clearly be my preference,” the 72-year-old told BBC Sport. “I would be very excited for the north of England.”
What are the problems with Old Trafford?
The absolute stinger in the tail for Ratcliffe and the MUFC hierarchy will no doubt have been the Etihad Stadium overtaking Old Trafford as a more viable venue.
Though it’s far from being the only problem in need of addressing:
- Significant structural issues
- A leaky roof
- Lack of major redevelopment in the last
- Corporate hospitality services overbooked
- Food quality concerns
- Etihad Stadium selected ahead of Old Trafford as a venue for Euro 2028 (UK and Ireland)
The cost of building a new stadium vs redeveloping Old Trafford
It’s fair to say that a ‘Wembley of the North’ is going to set back the Red Devils quite a bit. Certainly more than a fair chunk of change judging by prior comparable renovations and builds from competitors across the Premier League.
| Etihad Stadium (redevelopment) | |
| South Stand expansion and pitch-side seating added to take overall capacity to 53,400 (2015) | Cost = £50m ($64.9m) [approx] |
| North Stand expansion to take overall capacity to over 60,000 (in progress) | Cost = £300m ($389.5m) |
| Anfield Stadium (redevelopment) | |
| Main Stand expansion to take overall capacity to 54,074 (2016) | Cost = £110m ($142.8m) |
| Anfield Road Stand expansion to take overall capacity to 61,276 (2024) | Cost = £80m ($103.8m) |
| Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (new stadium build) | |
| Built 62,850-seater (2019) | Cost = £1.2bn ($1.5bn) [approx] |
| Emirates Stadium (new stadium build) | |
| Built 60,000-seater (2006) | Cost = £390m ($506.3m) [approx] |
Assuming that Sir Jim Ratcliffe has aspirations of maintaining (if not expanding) Old Trafford’s current capacity, it’s a potential project that will require serious financial backing.
With United’s ground crumbling into obscurity day by day, it may very well be more cost-effective to build an upgrade on one of England’s once most hallowed grounds.