Old Trafford to Undergo Big Changes

Old Trafford is one of the biggest and most important football grounds in the UK. Home to Manchester United, the stadium was first built in 1910 and is the largest football stadium in the country. Unfortunately for Manchester United fans, the team's efforts aren't the only thing that has been below standard in recent years. As an extremely old football ground, Old Trafford needs to be renovated regularly. Recently, there have been reports about the ground being in a poor state.

Currently, the club's owners are weighing up their options as they consider a complete redesign. The stadium definitely needs modernising, with most other top clubs in the Premier League having better and more modern grounds. As it stands, there are three main options to choose from. Either a complete rebuild, renovating the existing building or updating the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand. A complete rebuild would be the most costly, estimated at around 1.5 billion, but would be the better option long term. That said, some fans may not be happy about the prospect of their historic stadium being demolished.

Currently, Manchester United are in a rebuilding process, having slipped down the table over the last few seasons. While they spent big last summer, bringing in the likes of Ronaldo, Sancho and Varane, they ended up in a worse league position. For the 2022-23 season, they'll have a new manager in charge, and it will be interesting to see how they get on. You can check the upcoming Premier League odds at Betway, including Manchester United's chance at winning the league.

Could Manchester United Demolish Old Trafford?

Any changes to Old Trafford would be the first since 2006, showing that the stadium is clearly in need of modernisation. The last few seasons have seen fans raise safety concerns over the conditions of the ground, and many feel that demolishing it could be the best option. Although it's extreme, it allows the club to rebuild a much better and even bigger stadium in its place.

Former Manchester United club captain and right-back Gary Neville gave his thoughts on a possible rebuild. "I actually think that it would be the right move. I think by the time that they have spent money on Old Trafford, the existing one, then I think you would be better off building a brand new, better, super stadium. I do think that Manchester United should always be at the forefront of stadiums, have the best facilities and they have fallen behind."

Redevelopment Project

The current plans for the stadium are to redevelop the training ground and facilities while also adding more capacity. This project is estimated to cost around 200 million, and the architects who designed Tottenham Hotspurs stadium have been consulted. If the planned capacity is added, it would make Old Trafford the third-largest football ground in Europe at 88,000. For a club so steeped in history and success, it would be fitting to have a stadium to match. It's also good news for those on the season ticket waiting list, of which there are around 100,000.

The stadium's south stand, better known as the Sir Bobby Charlton stand, is likely to be the target of any renovation work. In the past, it's been difficult to do any work on the stand due to the nearby railway line, but new technology will make it much easier. Any renovation work will likely be staggered to ensure that fans aren't affected, and most of the work will probably happen over the summer while the season isn't in play. Manchester United fans will be hoping that their team can return to giving performances worthy of such an impressive and historic football ground.

Football Grounds To Visit While You Still Can

All good things have to come to an end, and the same unfortunately has to be said for football stadiums too. This article looks at the grounds which are soon to host their last match, the stadiums whose days are numbered and where fans will be watching their football from next.