Manchester United’s plans to erect the “Wembley of the North” may eventually involve demolishing the Old Trafford, reports indicate. The initial plan was to use the monument as a replacement for the Leigh Sports Village for the use of the club’s women’s teams and its academy. This would follow a downsizing of the stadium from its current 74,000 capacity to about 30,000, according to the Manchester Evening News. The rationale was to keep the stadium as a piece of the club’s treasured history.
Tearing down the stadium may be a cause of concern for many United fans. The club, showing it wishes to know what the fans think, will start a survey on Friday which would involve season ticket holders and members. However, with the survey only days away from holding, a Daily Mail report has revealed the club may be taking a U-turn on its initial plans after realizing the cost of preserving Old Trafford may run into an excess of £100 million. Even then, it is not guaranteed to work. Therefore, instead of the initial plan, an alternative that would see a 15,000-seater arena built in place of Old Trafford after the completion of the new stadium for the men’s team is now preferred.
Notwithstanding, the new plan will incorporate the preservation of certain historical elements of the Old Trafford. These iconic elements include the Munich clock, the Sir Matt Busby statue, and the Munich Tunnel.
Foster + Partners, a global architecture studio will reportedly be charged with overseeing the master plan for the whole new stadium project putting them in the position to include the historic icons in the new plan. However, nothing is exactly cast in stone yet with the option of renovating Old Trafford with £1 billion still a possibility in place of the present plan to build a new stadium with a £2 billion cost.
