New Manchester United stadium design
Manchester United's new stadium plans have been revealed
The Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) says that the club's announcement of a new £2billion stadium leaves more questions than answers.
United's prospective new ground will see their iconic home of Old Trafford knocked down and be replaced by a state-of-the-art 100,000-seater arena which will be at the heart of a government-funded regeneration project in south Manchester. Concept art and planning details were released on Tuesday morning before part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, CEO Omar Berrada and Lord Sebastian Coe - who's leading the stadium task force - spoke at a press event.
MUST quickly responded to the announcement, asking four key questions regarding the impact that United's new stadium - dubbed 'New Trafford' and hoped to be completed by 2030 - will have on match-going fans. "The announcement of plans to build a brand new stadium adjacent to Old Trafford is clearly very big news for United fans," a spokesperson began.
"Everyone wants the biggest and the best for our Club and the visuals look both stunning and exciting. But against the backdrop of uncertainty around next year's ticket prices, continuing poor performance on the field, speculation around sales of key young players, and the recent financial results, the news probably does beg more questions than it gives clear answers.
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"As our own and the club's consultations have shown, the answer to whether United fans want to refurbish Old Trafford or build a new ground depends entirely on what the consequences of the decision are. So now that decisions have been made, fans will need to be consulted all along the way on the key features that impact match-going fans' experience and atmosphere.
"Whilst investment is much-needed and welcome, fans remain anxious about what it means and what the consequences will be. Will it drive up ticket prices and force out local fans? Will it harm the atmosphere, which is consistently fans' top priority in the ground?
"Will it add to the debt burden which has held back the club for the last two decades? Will it lead to reduced investment in the playing side at a time when it is so badly needed?
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Manchester United released concept art on Tuesday
Manchester United released concept art on Tuesday
"We look forward to further consultation with supporters discussing these vital questions with the Club. If they are able to produce a new stadium as stunning as the plans suggest without harming the atmosphere, without hiking ticket prices and without harming investment elsewhere, then this could be very exciting.
"But until the questions are answered, our optimism about plans to make Old Trafford the biggest and the best again will be restrained by caution about what the consequences for fans might be."
Former Manchester City chief Berrada, who became United's CEO last June, was asked about how the club plan to pay for the stadium. "We are quite confident we will be able to find a way to finance the stadium," Berrada replied.
Asked how long it'll take for the project to be completed, Ratcliffe pointed to the Labour government. "It depends how quickly the government get going with their regeneration programme," the Manchester-born billionaire explained.
"I think they want to get going quite quickly. It will be a modular build. The modules means we can build it much more quickly. There are yards in the works that build large structures that are then shipped around the world."
Architect of the stadium Lord Norman Foster estimates that it would take five years to build, halving the original estimated time of 10 years.
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