Proposals have been put forward to construct a 100,000 seater stadium dubbed the "Wembley of the North", by co-owner Jim Ratcliffe. Credit: Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash

Extra time for Manchester United’s stadium decision

The football club has chosen to delay its final decision on how to regenerate the 124-year-old Old Trafford stadium, with both renovation or new-build options on the table.

A final decision on the stadium is now expected next summer as the club seeks further clarity over land deals, feasibility options, and awaits Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham’s March budget.

Surveys were sent to half a million United supporters, aiming to establish the extent of the split between fans wanting the current stadium to be upgraded, and fans who are keen on the club’s ambitions to construct a stadium adjacent to the current Old Trafford site.

Proposals for the construction of a stadium have floated an arena with a capacity of 100,000 seats.

A redeveloped Old Trafford is the preference of 31% of fans, while 52% would rather see a replacement, modern stadium be built. Of the surveyed, 50,000 United fans responded.

The wider Old Trafford masterplan, which concerns the construction of mixed-use developments on club-owned land around the existing stadium, is being developed by Foster + Partners.

In March, Lord Sebastian Coe was appointed as the lead of the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, which is focused on utilising the sports venue as a catalyst for further regeneration of the Old Trafford area.

Other members of the Task Force included Burnham, Gary Neville, and Sara Todd, chief executive of the Trafford Council.

Plans for the stadium and wider regeneration were boosted in September when Tritax proposed the moving of the 100-acre Old Trafford rail terminal’s output to St Helens, allowing brownfield land next to Old Trafford to be unlocked for future development.

Manchester United have been contacted for comment.

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No public money for this vanity project.

By Anonymous

The most obvious thing ever that these would delay their decision in what they’re doing BUT hopefully with it now being Summer 2025 they put forward a full integrated proposal with the stadium joined up to the various regeneration masterplans

By Anonymous

With all due respect and I genuinely do mean that, what does anyone on that task force know about a massively complicated Regeneration project such as this?

By Anonymous

Glazers out

By Bob

More time to fall further behind.

By Anonymous

@Anonymous. If it wasn’t for Manchester Utd’s global success & reach through 1990’s – today, Manchester wouldn’t be what it is today – and don’t you forget it.

By Cyril

Man Utd need to sort out the horrendous existing match day parking with current capacity before they even think about a bigger stadium

By Anonymous

A 100 acre regeneration a ‘vanity project’ ! 😅.

By Deary me

I do wonder whether any real Regen experts have been engaged on this scheme yet, Loads to do on CPOs, acquisitions etc.

By Anonymous

The only option that can happen in the next 20 years is the redevelopment of the existing stadium. So just get on with it for goodness sake

By Anonymous

Close it and play in the tax payer-funded City of Manchester stadium.

By Anonymous

Re Cyril at 12.29 pm
The reason Manchester is what it is today is due to the vision of people such as Sir Howard Bernstein and Sir Richard Leese not a football club whose owners have put nothing into the City of Manchester…… and don’t you forget it !

By Peter Chapman

The cascading water feature is missing from the graphic

By Anonymous

The proposed rail terminal is not going to St Helens, it is proposed to swallow up arable farm land north of Winwick bordering on the Liverpool Manchester railway.

By Steve

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