Manchester United announced plans to build a new 100,000-seater stadium on Tuesday, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe saying it's the "start of an incredibly exciting journey".
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Manchester United's plans for a new 100,000 seat stadium and wider regeneration of Old Trafford
Manchester United's plans for a new 100,000 seat stadium and wider regeneration of Old Trafford
(Image: Foster + Partners)
Manchester United fans 'approve' of the club's plan to build a sensational 100,000-seater stadium and feel the initial design is 'spectacular'.
United have revealed an ambitious proposal to build a state-of-the-art stadium that co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said could be built within five years. Conceptual images and scaled models designed by the architect Lord Norman Foster were unveiled on Tuesday at Foster + Partners' headquarters in London.
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Club figures estimate the cost of a new stadium to be in the region of £2billion. Once the new stadium is constructed and opened, United's existing home is set to be demolished. United would likely continue to be playing at Old Trafford until they move into their new stadium, however.
Architects at Foster and Partners said the new stadium would feature an umbrella design and a new public plaza that is "twice the size of Trafalgar Square". The design will feature three masts described as "the trident", which the architects say will be 200 metres high and visible from the Peak District.
Plans for the new stadium look ambitious and United fans have since been delivering their views on the club's idea to build the 100,000-seater arena and Norman Foster's design.
Firstly, United fans, in a poll ran by Manchester Evening News, were asked if they approve of the plan to build the new stadium, and it got a very overwhelming response. In fact, from 2,600 votes, 81 per cent approve of the idea to move, with the other 19 per cent not agreeing with that view.
Then when quizzed on what the fans thought of Foster's design, 53 per cent believe that it is 'spectacular'. That was the most popular answer, with 23 per cent going for 'quite nice' instead.
Manchester United
Manchester United has unveiled its new stadium
There were, however, 24 per cent who gave a negative response. 10 per cent claimed they 'don't love it', while 14 per cent feel it's 'awful'.
While most fans in the poll are very much for the idea and approve Foster's design, there are some that do not want to move from Old Trafford and into the brand new stadium.
Ratcliffe is someone, however, that is excited about United's plan for the new stadium. "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," he said.
"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.
"Just as important is the opportunity for a new stadium to be the catalyst for social and economic renewal of the Old Trafford area, creating jobs and investment not just during the construction phase but on a lasting basis when the stadium district is complete.
"The government has identified infrastructure investment as a strategic priority, particularly in the north of England, and we are proud to be supporting that mission with this project of national, as well as local, significance."