Man Utd unveil £2 billion stadium plans

Manchester United is set to transform the Old Trafford area with plans for a new £2 billion “world’s greatest” stadium, set to be the largest in the UK with a 100,000-seat capacity.

The club has chosen architects Foster + Partners to design the arena, which will feature three masts described as 'the trident', standing 200 metres high and visible from 25 miles away. 

A new public plaza, “twice the size of Trafalgar Square”, is also part of the project.

Foster + Partners, who designed the new Wembley Stadium, add that the stadium will be built using pre-fabrication, shipped in 160 components along the neighbouring Manchester Ship Canal.

Lord Norman Foster, founder and executive chairman of Foster + Partners, said: “This has to be one of the most exciting projects in the world today, with incredible regional and national significance. 

“It all starts with the fans’ experience, bringing them closer than ever to the pitch and acoustically cultivating a huge roar. 

“The stadium is contained by a vast umbrella, harvesting energy and rainwater, and sheltering a new public plaza that is twice the size of Trafalgar Square.

“The outward-looking stadium will be the beating heart of a new sustainable district, which is completely walkable, served by public transport and endowed by nature.” 

Set to replace the historic Old Trafford, home to Manchester United since 1910, the stadium is part of a wider regeneration scheme backed by the Government, predicted to be “the biggest and most exciting urban regeneration project” in the UK since the transformation of the Stratford area, in London, prior to the 2012 Olympics.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, chief executive of the INEOS chemicals group, who last year spent £1.3 billion for a 28.94 per cent stake in Manchester United which saw Ineos take control of football operations, added: “Today marks the start of an incredibly exciting journey to the delivery of what will be the world’s greatest football stadium, at the centre of a regenerated Old Trafford.

“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 next to the existing site, we will be able to preserve the essence of Old Trafford, while creating a truly state-of-the-art stadium that transforms the fan experience only footsteps from our historic home.”

Sir Alex Ferguson, the most successful manager in English football history, having won a remarkable 38 trophies in his 26-year tenure as Manchester United manager, added: “Manchester United should always strive for the best in everything it does, on and off the pitch, and that includes the stadium we play in. 

“Old Trafford holds so many special memories for me personally, but we must be brave and seize this opportunity to build a new home, fit for the future, where new history can be made.”

Local officials say the project has the potential to create 92,000 jobs and will bring an additional 1.8 million visitors to the area each year, providing a £7.3 billion annual boost to the economy.  

Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, added: “If we get this right, the regeneration impact could be bigger and better than London 2012. 

“I believe this vision can be realised, and, if so, the benefits for Greater Manchester, the North West and the country will be huge.”

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