MANCHESTER UNITED’s owners are considering DEMOLISHING Old Trafford, according to sensational reports. The Premier League giants have played their football at the same ground for 112 years. But with Old Trafford slipping behind its rivals in terms of being fit for the modern-day game, United officials are said to be considering a major revamp. Sportsmail […]
MANCHESTER UNITED’s owners are considering DEMOLISHING Old Trafford, according to sensational reports.
The Premier League giants have played their football at the same ground for 112 years.
But with Old Trafford slipping behind its rivals in terms of being fit for the modern-day game, United officials are said to be considering a major revamp.
Sportsmail claims Man Utd chiefs have THREE options on the table for improving their stadium situation.
The most controversial of them involves knocking Old Trafford down and starting from scratch on the same site.
And while it’s not the Glazers’ No1 option as things stand, the report claims it is a very real possibility.
The club have acres of land to utilise on their Stretford site, with a new stadium comfortably the best option for bringing the ground – which has been left to rot in recent years – into the 21st century.
However, it would easily be the most expensive and would see them become ‘homeless’ for around two years – with United entertaining two other proposals.
The South Stand currently poses the biggest problem, with a railway line directly behind meaning any expansions would require major work.
In decades past, any work on the stand has been impossible, but technology is now in place to ensure that will no longer be a problem.
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So another option is for United to remodel the stand by building up and OVER the train tracks.
It’s believed this is the Glazers’ current favourite option.
The third and final possibility involves a major revamp of ALL four stands.
In this scenario, United would overhaul and upgrade all the seating and corporate areas in phases to bring the stadium in line with their rivals’ more modern stadiums.
Tottenham, Manchester City and Arsenal are just three clubs to have moved to new homes in recent years.
In any event, United are hoping to boost their current capacity from 74,000 to over 80,000.
In December, chief operating officer Collette Roche refused to put a timetable on the proposed changes, but reports claim United are expected to announce the hiring of an architect soon.
Roche previously claimed: “These meetings have produced exciting potential ideas, although it’s important to note that we’re still at an early stage and it’s premature to talk about timetables.”
Manchester United last year hit out at the Glazers for letting Old Trafford become ‘tired’.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ The Football Show, Neville said: “When I think of Manchester United and the land Manchester United own, there should be a Man United World around there.
“They should be influencing education and community, there should be entertainment for the public, it should be a real experience of Manchester United around that stadium.
“Old Trafford has been allowed to tire, the team has been tiring, the stadium is starting to look old and it needs investment.”
