Apparantley we are looking to increase capacity to 88,000...according to Mail.
Mitten: Manchester United MUST put money back into Old Trafford
- Thread starter Maroo
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Apparantley we are looking to increase capacity to 88,000...according to Mail.
Been hearing this for the best part of two years. Still nothing.
Yeh, let's move into a shiny toilet bowl like Wembley/Emirates/Millennium stadia. Old Trafford just needs a little modernising and it's fine. The new stadia being built are soulless and void of character.
I'm pretty sure that's what 90% of the posters in this thread are advocating.
I'm sure none of us are mate, but i think its safe to assume if the club does want to build over the tracks. They will hire experts who will no doubt think about the possibility of train explosions and make sure the stand is suitably reinforced to withstand anything like that.
Goes to show the way football is going if a lot of you seriously want us to remove whatever life is left from Old Trafford by completely renovating it and making everything glass or shiny. Of course I think it needs a bit of a refurb and a clean, but it’s one of the best old stadiums left. I wouldn’t change it for anything, and would even consider stopping going to games should they change it to/for some soulless shithole like the Emirates or Spurs’ new ground. Don’t even wanna think about poor West Ham.
The Tinder MatchDome (TM)
As much as I'd like to think there is a plan to utilise the land, it's more likely that the land has been bought to prevent third-party developers from doing so and profiting from the mecca that is Old Trafford.
The club made repeated (and unsuccessful) attempts to prevent Giggs and Neville from building Hotel Football just across the way. Of course, what the club should have done is build the hotel themselves - it's a captive market for match-day travel and they've missed out entirely. All whilst allowing Neville and Co to pocket from the attraction of Old Trafford.
Smacks of a lack of foresight. United are a commercial juggernaught - but with the strings pulled from an office in London. 200 miles from Old Trafford. I do wish Woodward and Co would pay much closer attention to the fans on the ground.
It is a strange dichotomy though.
This is the club which has successfully restored itself as the most valuable on the planet, posted record revenues during lean years and struck commercial deals so lucrative that they've found themselves the subject of dissertations. And despite all that, they found themselves outsmarted by two former players who spotted an opportunity to capitalise on the thousands of supporters who stay overnight in Manchester to attend a game at Old Trafford.
What do I think they should do?
Build a 15/20k stadium on the site. Host reserve/youth team games. Stick a retractable roof on it and make it suitable for gigs/concerts. Sell naming rights to "OT mini"
Build on the south stand, make it exec/sponsor friendly with boxes and padded seats etc.
As a result, make the Stretford End more more "ordinary fan" friendly. Reduce ticket prices in there and in J Stand.
Push for safe standing aswell.
What will they do?
Nothing
Build a 15/20k stadium on the site. Host reserve/youth team games. Stick a retractable roof on it and make it suitable for gigs/concerts. Sell naming rights to "OT mini"
Build on the south stand, make it exec/sponsor friendly with boxes and padded seats etc.
As a result, make the Stretford End more more "ordinary fan" friendly. Reduce ticket prices in there and in J Stand.
Push for safe standing aswell.
What will they do?
Nothing
Build the south stand, make it exec/sponsor friendly, then redevelop the rest of the stadium to make them more exec/sponsor friendly, whilst increasing ticket prices to the profit maximise.
That's a little more liekly.
Yes, the Glazers missed a trick with the hotel but to call then short sighted is an over stretch. No one person or business will be the forefront of everything. United clearly concentrated on international matters, marketing etc. Now that they have, time to come home a little more. Sound business sense to me. Exactly what I would have done.
Really though, how much is a Hotel going to make you exactly? If you're lucky at high end prices maybe 1m./year? Probably cost 40m to build it.
That's a great idea, tbf.
There's always the option of doing what Spurs have done and building a new stadium.
A new stadium would probably cost somewhere around a billion given a likely capacity of 90,000, United could probably generated somewhere between £50m-£70m a year in selling the naming rights to a ground so I'd imagine it will be covered by the board at some stage.
A new stadium would probably cost somewhere around a billion given a likely capacity of 90,000, United could probably generated somewhere between £50m-£70m a year in selling the naming rights to a ground so I'd imagine it will be covered by the board at some stage.
I wish they'd talk to their neighbours. I don't mean City. There's been a marginal improvement over the last couple of years, but United in my lifetime have never been great ones for talking to the folks who live in those nearby streets. They have always wanted to work with United. They're good people.
Increase capacity and gift 5k of the ticket allocation to under 16's in Manchester and surrounding districts. At least for lesser games. They are the future of the club.
I was going to mention this some time ago, but was afraid of what answers I would get. I have noticed for a while now, that we do need refurbishing on parts of Old Trafford.
we don't need a new stadium.Old Trafford is our home and always it will be.
I firmly hope that it can be updated and expanded
I firmly hope that it can be updated and expanded
Exactly!
After WWII we shared Maine Road with City until OT could be made safe after bomb damage, but don't see that kind of ground-sharing working now, fans would go mad and the Etihad capacity even with its new changes, would leave us about 20,000 short!
OT as a ground can be improved, but so too would a lot of external facilities, the access roads/routes, W1 and W2 car park entrances are bottle-necks (bridge over canal) etc. all need improvements. I suppose the problem is even if your original question could be answered and an alternative temporary venue holding 76,000 could be found, would fans be prepared to pay the extra in raised ticket/entry/etc. prices.
Two modest improvements I would suggest are to the 1)PA system and 2) adding large screens on top of all four stands.
What’s wrong with the PA system?
All that needs doing is minor work during the off season for me. From May - August they could just do out the concourses, toilets, clean/replace some of the steel framework at the top, clean up a lot of the exterior, maybe if they’ve got time attempt to rearrange some of the seating areas (there’s some areas particularly up in the NE/NW quadrants with awful views).
Then hopefully within the next 3 years we could see an extension of the south stand, finally.
Suppose it depends where you are in the stadium, the acoustics in the corner/quadrants are poor especially when announcements are made, music sounds OK... or my be its just me going a bit 'mutton jeff'. Would like the big screens though!
Yeah I’ve been in loads of different parts (take what I’m given) and I suppose you’re right. Sometimes I’ve been up in a quadrant and you don’t realise how shit it is until you walk down to the exit and see/feel the rest of the stadium.
I’m not so sure about the big screen - where would they put them? At Old Trafford, surely it’d cover some seat’s views. (Infact doesn’t it do exactly that when they have other events at OT and stick a temporary screen in?)
Don't know about temporary screens, but I accept there is a problem with siting the permanent type screens, suppose its why we still have the 1990's LED displays for the scoreboards? I would have thought screens could go on top of each stand N/S/E/W or be fitted into the overhangs, but as you say the view from some of the high up 3rd tier quadrants might be made worse!
Good shout.
I like this idea. But the noisy neighbours might follow suit and they have an entire emptihad to offer
In the meantime, Chelsea have increased the projected cost of redeveloping SB from £500m to more than £1 billion, which would make it the most expensive stadium in Europe.
No one argues that the stadium is in need of investment/a makeover/updating in certain areas but that article is as outdated as he claims the stadium is.
As a Man Utd fan for about 20 years, I finally had the chance to go visit OT last year with my wife.
Honestly, I wouldn't know too much in detail compare to all you local people, and I have never watched a match in OT - however during the stadium tour (we went there in June), I did not feel it being old at all: I actually quite enjoy how it looks: it is fairly modern outside (you know, the glass window wall at the front above the megastore, and white metal roof etc) with brick interior inside which to me, it shows how much history our club has and how it is still standing firm and making marks in modern days.
And the tour itself was amazing, got quite emotional at the end too.
Yes, maybe there are facilities needing some repair/reno/upgrade, but I definitely do not want a flashy new "modern" stadium.
Oh, and then we took the tram to Manchester City Etihad Stadium, since it is easy to go and as travellers, why not?
But then I am not sure if it is due to my RedDevil heart or it is an objective opinion - I did not like that stadium at all LOL
Honestly, I wouldn't know too much in detail compare to all you local people, and I have never watched a match in OT - however during the stadium tour (we went there in June), I did not feel it being old at all: I actually quite enjoy how it looks: it is fairly modern outside (you know, the glass window wall at the front above the megastore, and white metal roof etc) with brick interior inside which to me, it shows how much history our club has and how it is still standing firm and making marks in modern days.
And the tour itself was amazing, got quite emotional at the end too.
Yes, maybe there are facilities needing some repair/reno/upgrade, but I definitely do not want a flashy new "modern" stadium.
Oh, and then we took the tram to Manchester City Etihad Stadium, since it is easy to go and as travellers, why not?
But then I am not sure if it is due to my RedDevil heart or it is an objective opinion - I did not like that stadium at all LOL