Man United reveals latest plans for new stadium to replace Old Trafford
Manchester United revealed more details about its proposed new stadium on Thursday, including the precise location of the 100,000-seat arena.
United said the new stadium would be situated around 350 meters northwest of its existing Old Trafford stadium.
As part of a wider stadium district, the Premier League club said the entire project would create 48,000 local jobs, 15,000 new homes and potentially generate 7.3 billion pounds ($9.8 billion) a year for the UK economy.
“Together with our partners, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver a destination that creates lasting benefits for supporters, local communities and the wider region for decades to come,” Collette Roche, CEO of United’s new stadium development, said. “We are committed to building a world-class stadium with our supporters, not simply for them.”
United's part owner Jim Ratcliffe has made it a mission to deliver the “world’s greatest” soccer stadium.
When plans were first unveiled last year it was estimated it would cost around 2 billion pounds ($2.6 billion) to build a stadium to surpass Wembley as the biggest in the United Kingdom, with completion in time for the 2030-31 season.
Initial stadium drawings included a structure with three spires. The final design has not been determined.
Wembley is currently the biggest stadium in the U.K., with a capacity of 90,000, and is home to England’s national soccer teams.
Old Trafford is the country’s biggest dedicated soccer stadium with a capacity of just over 74,000, but is dated in comparison to the likes of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, which regularly hosts NFL games.
Old Trafford, which was bombed during World War II, has been home to United since 1910.
___
James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
