Manchester United shared concept designs for 'New Trafford Stadium' to replace Old Trafford last year, featuring a three-pronged canopy covering the whole pitch
(Image: PA)
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Manchester United could reportedly save as much as £200million by scrapping the stadium canopy that caused such controversy when concept designs for their new home to replace Old Trafford were released last year.
The three-pronged design was said to be inspired by the Red Devil's trident on their club crest. A source familiar with the stadium claims the canopy would cost £200million, according to The Sun, despite the reported overall cost being £2billion.
Reports of plans to forego the canopy date back to late September last year, with The Athletic saying the club are looking at alternative designs. However, no decision has been made yet.
They claimed issues with purchasing the necessary land around Old Trafford were the reason behind other plans being drawn up by architects Foster + Partners. Their reporting six months after images came out estimated the canopy's cost at £300million to £400million.
The last update from a United spokesperson at a fans forum meeting in September mentioned "the proposed new stadium – including a canopy". Those comments came in reference to the land they need to buy for the project.
The club said: "While Manchester United owns a significant portion of land around Old Trafford, it is not all in a single, continuous block.
"To accommodate the scale of the proposed new stadium – including a canopy – and to avoid disruption to the existing stadium during construction, we are working to secure additional land.
"We've been engaged in constructive discussions with neighbouring landholders and are optimistic about reaching mutually agreeable terms in the coming months."
Lord Norman Foster, founder of Foster + Partners, called the canopy "a vast umbrella" after they released the images. He said: "The stadium is contained by a vast umbrella, harvesting energy and rainwater, and sheltering a new public plaza that is twice the size of Trafalgar Square.
Their head of studio Nigel Dancey also explained the design. He said: "Three towering masts hold up the stadium’s canopy, embodying the club’s trident emblem, and creating a distinctive presence on the skyline."
The press release also reiterated: "The stadium features three soaring masts, which take inspiration from the Red Devil’s trident emblem and reflect the verticality of Manchester’s industrial skyline. The masts support a translucent canopy that envelopes the stadium, wrapping around the stands and shielding a generous public plaza from rainfall."
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