NEW TRAFFORD
Ratcliffe vision for the ‘new United’ includes building super £2bn stadium like Sofi in LA
MANCHESTER UNITED plan to build a new stadium on the site of Old Trafford – with the move to be confirmed by the end of the year.
United’s preferred option is to build a completely new 100,00-seater state-of-the-art stadium on land adjacent to Old Trafford – at a cost of around £2billion – by 2030.
The other option is to redevelop Old Trafford.
However, that would present logistical issues, including having to reduce attendances from 75,000 to around 40,000 while the work was carried out or play at an alternative venue.
Building a new arena would see United continue to play at Old Trafford while construction was carried out. There are no plans to play at another ground on the agenda at the moment.
United have set up the Old Trafford Task Force to assess the feasibility of both options. Officials have been visiting stadiums all over the world on factfinding missions to gain an insight into how to build the best sports arena in the UK.
Those stadiums include the Bernabeu, Nou Camp and the 70,000-capacity Sofi in Los Angeles, arguably the finest sports arena in the world (below), where United lost 2-1 to Arsenal in a preseason friendly on Saturday.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe (below), now in charge of football operations at United, has a bold vision for Old Trafford.
And that vision includes a major regeneration of the local area, in terms of both amenities and job creation.
The Sofi project did just that, at an overall cost of around £4billion, funded by Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke.
The ‘Hollywood Park’ area around the stadium boasts a 6,000 capacity concert venue, apartments and hotels.
United see Sofi as a blueprint for their own grand vision for a new Old Trafford and the subsequent regeneration of the surrounding area that such a bold stadium transformation would bring.
The cost of the United plan would be met by a mix of private and public investment, with the Government providing funding for the improved transport links, which would be needed to support the new stadium.
Former United striker Andy Cole (circle), who is out in the US on the club’s pre-season tour, was impressed by Sofi.
He praised its positive impact on the local community, a legacy which he feels could be replicated with Old Trafford. “What left the biggest impression on me is how the stadium has been central to the rise of Inglewood,” he said.
“I have been coming to LA for years and that area of the city was never somewhere you would choose to go as a visitor.
“Now it is an inspirational example of innercity regeneration. “To see how it’s become such a thriving neighbourhood with Sofi at the heart of it.
“I don’t draw this comparison lightly, but you can see a parallel with the opportunity in Manchester.
“A new or redeveloped stadium at Old Trafford could be the focal point for revitalisation of the surrounding area.
“United fans, and everyone in the north of England, deserves a truly world-class stadium and Sofi has set the standard. This is the kind of arena the best players in the world want to be playing in, and fans want to be experiencing.”