Will Old Trafford soon become New Trafford? Manchester United is planning a massive new stadium—and has taken a major step forward in the process.
Manchester United, England’s record champion, has taken a major step forward in its plans for a new 100,000-seat stadium in the immediate vicinity of its legendary Old Trafford. The Red Devils confirmed earlier this week the purchase of ten hectares of building land just 350 meters away from their more than 100-year-old “Theater of Dreams.” In the first half of July, the club plans to release details about the 2.3 billion euro project, which will be the largest sports arena in the United Kingdom.
“This is a milestone. Being able to build so close to Old Trafford allows us to preserve the heritage, traditions, and rituals that are so important to our fans,” explained Collette Roche, Manchester’s head of stadium development: “The land we’ve acquired provides us with the stage to create a truly world-class stadium that honors our past and is equipped for our future.”
Housing and jobs are set to be created
Manchester’s new arena is the centerpiece of a large-scale urban development project. Around the club’s future home, 15,000 new homes and 48,000 jobs are also set to be created. In addition, Man United is projected to generate over eight billion euros in annual revenue for the British economy.
Manchester has played at Old Trafford for nearly 120 years. Due to increasing signs of age-related deterioration in the structure of the 74,000-seat arena and corresponding economic feasibility analyses, the decision to build a new stadium was made last year.