Manchester United plans to build a new stadium of 100,000 capacity instead of redeveloping their existing home in Old Trafford.
United announced the ambitious plans on Tuesday, with the London -based architecture agency Fosters + Partners selected to lead the project.
The Nieuwgebouw will be on land around Old Trafford, as part of a broader regeneration of the Trafford Wharfide area. The club said in a press release that the new stadium and regeneration project has the potential to deliver £ 7.3 billion ($ 9.7 billion) to the local economy, to create 92,000 vacancies and to build more than 17,000 new houses, and to manage an additional 1.8 million visitors annually.
The Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, which was set up to assess options for the stadium and regeneration project, held a final meeting on Friday before being rejected.
Digital views of what the new stadium and the surrounding area could look like were unveiled on Tuesday by Foster + Partners. These include a threefold stadium canopy inspired by the Red Devil’s Trident on the club’s badge. The conceptual images and scaled models now offer “a master plan for more detailed feasibility, consultation, design and planning, since the project is going into a new phase,” the club said.
Although it was established that the capacity of a redeveloped Old Trafford could be as high as 87,000, it turned out that a new building could house no fewer than 100,000 supporters.
A study among the United Supporters established last year that 52 percent of fans asked for a new stadium to be rebuilt, while 31 percent preferred redevelopment.
“Today, the start of an incredibly exciting journey to the delivery of what the world’s largest football stadium will be, in the center of a regenerated Old Trafford,” said Sir Jim Ratcliffe, co-owner of the club, in the release.
“Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport. By building in addition to the existing site, we will be able to retain the essence of Old Trafford, while we create a real state-of-the-art stadium that the fan experience only transforms footsteps from our historic house, “said Ratcliffe.
“Just as important is the possibility for a new stadium to be the catalyst for social and economic renewal of the Old Trafford area, jobs and investments, not only during the construction phase, but on a sustainable basis when the Stadiumistrict is complete. The government has identified infrastructure investments as a strategic priority, especially in the north of England, and we are proud to support that mission with this project of National, as well as local, meaning. “
Ratcliffe expects “a five-year project instead of a 10 year” with the planned “Modular Build”-where structures are built in elsewhere and shipped to reduce construction time.
(Manchester United/Foster + Partners)
The Task Force has delivered its option report to investigate the benefits of both a new build and a redeveloped stadium earlier this year.
The report concluded that although both options will “provide transformative benefits for the club and the Trafford and beyond”, which would be “strengthened under the new Builddoptie”.
“Our long -term objective as a club is to have the world’s best football team play in the world’s best stadium,” said Chief Executive Omar Bercrada. “We are grateful for the feasibility work that is done by the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force that investigates options for the future of Old Trafford.
“We carefully considered the findings, together with the views of thousands of fans and local residents and concluded that a new stadium is the right way for Manchester United and our surrounding community. We will now start further consultation to ensure that fans and residents are still heard when we are on their way to final decisions. “
(Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Sir Alex Ferguson, the legendary former manager and winner of the club of 13 Premier League titles, said: “Manchester United must always strive for the best in everything it does, on and next to the field, and that includes the stadium in which we play. Old traffic has so many special memories of me personally and these Kuns” Dapper “
Financing remains an important question mark, with the costs of a newly built stadium estimated at more than £ 2 billion. As reported by Athletics In June United would consider selling the name rights to their new house to help pay the project.
“As a PLC, we can’t speculate too much about financing,” Berrada said in a briefing with reporters in London after Tuesday’s announcement. “What I will say is as a center point it is a very attractive investment option. We are confident that we will find a way to finance the stadium. ‘
Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) welcomed the plans, but released their concern and the need for consultation with fans because the project takes shape.
“The announcement of plans to build a brand new stadium next to Old Trafford is clearly very big news for United fans. Everyone wants the biggest and best for our club and the visuals look both beautiful and exciting. But against the background of uncertainty about next year’s ticket prices, continuing poor performance on the field, speculation about the sale of important young players and the recent financial results, the news probably raises more questions, it gives clear answers, “said a must spokesperson.
“If they are able to produce a new stadium as amazing as the plans suggest without harming the atmosphere, without hurting the prices of tickets and without harming investments elsewhere, this can be very exciting. But until the questions have been answered, our optimism about plans to make Old Trafford the greatest and the best weather will be held by caution about what the consequences can be for fans. “
‘The most important question is how this will be paid’
Analysis by Manchester United Correspondent Laurie Whitwell
This outcome was followed as soon as Ratcliffe walked through the doors at Old Trafford. Last July in Los Angeles, Senior United figures spoke about the possibility that a new stadium reached 100,000 capacity and the wish of Ratcliffe was clear at the time.
There is certainly a profession at the fan base for a ‘New Trafford’ – especially with the urban regeneration plan in addition – but the position is not unanimous and many people will be sad that a land that holds so many memories is left behind.
That said, Ferguson’s support for the project, cut as an ambassador, remarkably as he has created so many of those moments in the consciousness of the club.
The most important question is how the build will be paid: acquire more debts, through sponsorship or injected through cash injected by Ineos? Ticket price increases seem to be inevitable in this scenario, but extreme care must be taken to not praise fans.
(Manchester United/Foster + Partners)
The actual design of the stadium is also crucial. Old Trafford has character and history for all its mistakes. Many clubs have struggled when moving to new stadiums. Can some of the architecture be retained?
Ratcliffe greeted Real Madrid’s Bernabeu and Camp Nou in Barcelona, but both grounds have been renovated at their original locations.
Lord Norman Foster, founder of Foster + Partners, said: “It all starts with the experience of the fans, making them closer than ever to the field and a huge brell of acoustic cultivation. The stadium has been absorbed by a huge umbrella, harvested energy and rainwater and protecting a new square that is twice as Trafalgar Square.”
Keeping supporters close to the field feels essential to maintain that connection with the action.
But the renders released by United are a dramatic shift of the current stadium and will be enormously divided. The tent on top of the ground strikes like a strange combination in the midst of the landscape and what came earlier.
An naming Rights deal and more debts?
Analysis by senior football news reporter Matt Slater
“Naming-Rights-Deals are as free money for clubs, and those they don’t have, just leave money on the table,” said Michael Weaver, an expert in sponsor deals that leads the valuation advice team of Kroll’s London Office, said Athletics. “You just have to look at the United States, where almost every stadium is named at a sponsor, to see that.
“If Manchester United would sell the naming rights to Old Trafford, our analysis suggests that they would earn around £ 15 million a year, but you could double that for a new stadium. A naming-rights deal for, say, 10 years, would cover a considerable part of the construction costs and enable them to borrow money for the rest at a better interest rate. I do not understand why they would not close a name for name rights. “
Who or what would fit in the new house of United? Would anyone even use the new name?
These questions are more difficult to answer and United fans are divided -but Arsenal -fans have become used to the Emirates and Manchester City fans seem to have no problem calling their home the Etihad.
(Manchester United/Foster + Partners)
“Ineos is perhaps a more tasty sponsor than anyone else like Manchester United is already actively associated with Ineos and it would suggest that the company of Ratcliffe is fully dedicated and in it for the long term,” Weaver suggests.
“Our research suggests that British fans are no longer in contrast to naming deals as they were. Fans are financially more literate with their clubs and they know what is needed to compete on the field, especially if you are up against rivals, supported by sovereign wealth funds. You have to squeeze out all the juice. “
So, a deal for name rights will help, but what about the rest?
“It will be very expensive,” says Tim Williams, who was the United financial controller group until 2015. “I am sure it will have to be financed by a mix of equity and debts. There will be no shortage of global banks and private equity companies that want to borrow United money, but it will be interesting to see how much they borrow and where that fault is.
“Debt is a highly charged period at United, but it is normally better to place stadium debt on the club’s books or a club subsidiary. The separation of Club and Stadium rarely works in the long term. “
(Top photo: Manchester United/Foster + Partners)