'Dishwashing tablet': Plans for Manchester United's 100,000-seat mega stadium leave fans divided
Manchester United are stepping up plans to tear down Old Trafford and replace it with a new 100,000-seat stadium.
The Red Devils continue forward Replacing Your Iconic, But Aging Home and plans will be presented at the end of 2024.
Reports even claim that work could begin in early 2025 on the project which could cost more than £2 billion.
First images of what the stadium and its surroundings would look like once the new stadium is completed.
However, fans are a bit divided, particularly over one image.
“It looks like a dishwasher tablet,” said one.
Another added: “Why does it look like a boiled candy?”
A third wrote: “Exciting times ahead for manchester united! “I can’t wait to see the new stadium come to life!”
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has pushed for this stadium renovation since Ineos completed the purchase of a minority stake in the club.
He problems with Old Trafford They've been there for all to see, and every time it rains, water cascades from multiple sections of the stadium.
the plans
All options have been considered, including renovating Old Trafford or building a completely new stadium adjacent to the current one.
Under a rumored proposal, Old Trafford would be kept but renovated into a smaller stadium for women's and academy teams.
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However, it is believed this will be too costly and plans are moving ahead for a new 100,000-seat stadium. This would be the largest in the country.
Architects Foster + Partners, who designed Wembley, have been hired for the project.
Lord Foster, founder and chief executive of Foster + Partners, said: “As a proud citizen of Manchester, I am passionate about the opportunity to redevelop Manchester's great industrial heritage, creating a vibrant new mixed-use community, served by improved transport and highly sustainable. links, providing homes and jobs for the local community, all catalysed by a world-class stadium for the most famous football team in the world – Manchester United.”
What has been said?
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been the most active around the project and has emphasized what it can do for the club and the local area.
He even called it the “Wembley of the North.”
If you wish, you have this opportunity to build a completely new plot of land, because we have enough space.
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“If you built a brand new ground it would be absolutely state-of-the-art, world-class, with 90,000 or even 100,000 spectators, which would then provide a platform for some of the big competitions in the north of England.
“Why does England always play in the south? Why is the FA Cup final always in the south? Why can't the Champions League final occasionally be in the north?”
“Football in the north is as important as it is in the south, possibly more so, and people in the north pay their taxes, so why do we have Wembley, Twickenham, Wimbledon etc. in the south?
“What do we have in the north? There is a strong argument for building a 'Wembley of the north'”.
Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said: “This could be the biggest regeneration scheme this country has ever seen.”
the timeline
Man United will present their plans in late 2024 and work could even begin in early 2025.
However, this project may not be completed until 2030 at a cost of more than £2 billion.
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Tottenham's new stadium project took three years to complete, while Barcelona's Camp Nou renovation began in 2023 and will not be fully finished until 2026.
The club consulted with around 30,000 fans as part of the project, with a roughly 50-50 split between staying or moving.
