I have wondered about the name New Trafford myself in the past. I do know why it's called Old Trafford, but if you can't call a new stadium the same thing then would New Trafford be a more meaningful name that pays homage to the current stadium than some other unrelated name? Of course, chances are a new stadium would end up being named after a sponsor or something unfortunately.
Old Trafford revamp/could be torn down and rebuilt according to Glazer plans
- Thread starter GE
- Start date
Could call it New Old Trafford? best of both worlds that way.
Thought about that, but it is a bit of a mouthful and just sounds strange.
Maybe Not-As-Old Trafford?
Thought about that, but it is a bit of a mouthful and just sounds strange.
Maybe Not-As-Old Trafford?
Old Trafford 2, this time its personal!
Ironically the the Glazer's kept their word on that one, they said they wouldn't change the name of the stadium and haven't despite the money they could have made, a new one almost certainly would be sold off
the devil says renovate, can't be good!
Arsenal fans have to vacate their seats after the Emirates Stadium roof suffers huge LEAKS
Its not even that old a stadium!
Its not even that old a stadium!
Last edited:
Why is Old Trafford named the way it is, can someone enlighten me?
Old Trafford was built more than 110 years ago.
You can keep expanding, adding seats, doing the odd refurb here and there but it will never be able to compete with the new stadiums. It will eventually have to get knocked down, whether it's in 10, 20 or 30 years. So why not do it now and benefit from the rewards asap.
Can you imagine with the global following United have, then add a stadium as good if not better than Spurs, make it 90,000 seats.....It would be the greatest stadium on earth. All paid for by someone else's money (If the Qatari bid wins).
We will create new amazing memories in the new stadium. Time to move on.
You can keep expanding, adding seats, doing the odd refurb here and there but it will never be able to compete with the new stadiums. It will eventually have to get knocked down, whether it's in 10, 20 or 30 years. So why not do it now and benefit from the rewards asap.
Can you imagine with the global following United have, then add a stadium as good if not better than Spurs, make it 90,000 seats.....It would be the greatest stadium on earth. All paid for by someone else's money (If the Qatari bid wins).
We will create new amazing memories in the new stadium. Time to move on.
Basically the area is called Old Trafford, Old Trafford was a crossing point over the River Irwell in ancient times. The name Old Trafford possibly derives from the time when there were two Trafford Halls, Old Trafford Hall and New Trafford Hall.
What does compete with the new stadiums mean? Why do we want some wanky American arena?
Explain why we need to knock down one of the most iconic and historic stadiums in the world when all the other new stadiums prioritise hot dog stands and padded seats over said history? Why not just increase to 90k and have the best of both worlds?What on earth does this even mean?!?
Arsenal fans have to vacate their seats after the Emirates Stadium roof suffers huge LEAKS
Its not even that old a stadium!
That shit hole is nearly 20 years old at this stage, time to tear it down and build a new one.
Pray tell us how you can increase the current stadium to 90K?
If we get a new stadium, what do we even call it? Hopefully not a sponsored one like City or Arsenal.
It'll almost certainly be sponsored in some way but hopefully retaining the Old Trafford part, Arsenal get about 4 million quid a year for their stadium sp United goy probably get a big chunk more
Why do you replace anything? Maybe because it gets old, isn't fit for purpose and looks like shit.
I’d rather a plan that mixes retaining some of the old into the new plan
I think everyone would want this but the cost might be prohibitive. Im no architect but Ive read its usually more cost effective to build new
Edit: could we not just knock down that pointless building next door
Aye, they could retain the iconic neon signage.
Not sure if serious..
No I think it would work really well, complimenting the old with the new as Arsenal have done with their iconic clock.
Finish the stand above the railway line..
Almost certainly not practical and probably very cost prohibitive for any real benefits
That would mean relocating the Freightliner depot, which would cost a fortune.
I’m not sure how many non-train-nerds realise how busy it is.
A mate in the events industry says many see Old Trafford as a rather charmless venue trading on past glories compared to even the likes of Stamford Bridge.... The lack of escalators/elevators to the Gods is a human rights violation...A rebuild is essential or a renovation along the lines of the Bernabau. Either way it'll cost around £2bn.
could we keep part of the current stadium as a homage. Like they were going to do with the towers at Wembley.
Maybe keep the pissy floor in one of the toilets?
Maybe keep the pissy floor in one of the toilets?
Is it really to that bad?
I was there recently and thought it was perfect although the concourse in the SBC stand was a little tight.
I think people are spoilt. Try stadiums in Ireland.
We've two modern ones and the rest are decrepit
There are too many foundational issues for just a renovation.
All the more reason I think the Glazers want to sail away into the goodnight
They can refinance but if they have to spend £2bn on the stadium, it'll be very hard for them to make more money off the club in the future than they will if they sell now. And they're getting on a bit. Avram looked half dead at Wembley.
You're sure it will eventually have to get knocked down?
You're speaking from an expert point of view?
Does time to move on include building the new stadium at some other spot?
For them to invest in the infrastructure and see a return on the investment will require them to spend on a much larger scale ie critical mass. The areas around OT can be re-generated into some mixed residential/commercial entity so that OT will have human traffic every day and not just a few hundred tourists on non-match days.
But that sort of investment ie regeneration or identification is way outside the Glazers' financial resources. That's why they held off doing anything on the infrastructure esp the stadium. It made no point for them to go down this path.
The trigger points for this potential sale have been: the era of cheap interest rates is over. The potential ESL is done for the foreseeable future. And the need to upgrade the infrastructure has been put off for so long (18yrs) that it's just possible any longer without harming their investment.
So basically they can't afford to hold on to United on the cheap any more.
The question is whether the new owners will have a business model that will have some decent ROI on their infrastructure investment by going really big -- and not some splash of new paint. But the club at £5-6 billion is only half the issue.
Do they go big and re-generate the entire area surrounding OT? A United land project?
Pesky rodents, overflowing toilets and a leaky roof – the contenders for the keys to Old Trafford face a litany of challenges but getting the Theatre of Dreams to sing again may prove the most challenging.
Manchester United on a matchday is a curious paradox; the club’s 113-year-old home is a citadel for 73,511 supporters to live vicariously through their heroes yet it’s a place of creaking fallibility. Sepia-tinged reminders of former glories, ageing facades, cramped concourses and dodgy phone reception.
Old Trafford’s decay mirrors the stagnation in these post-Ferguson years and offers a stark reminder that the Glazer family have stood still while rivals have either updated their homes or moved to a new stadium. Memo to Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani or Sir Jim Ratcliffe: you are going to need to dig deep here and it will take more than a lick of paint to liven the place up.
“The place is just tired. It still has character as it’s old but the place is so far behind the times. It's embarrassing walking in here and seeing rust and roofs leaking. It feels small-time,” United fan Alwyn Robson, 45, said before Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final win over Fulham.
“It still has a charm about it but the food and beer is second rate and it’s so small inside. You end up having to leave about five to 10 minutes before half-time just to make sure you get a lukewarm pie.”
Walking up Sir Matt Busby Way to the ground, there’s an intoxicating elixir of burger vans, fried onions, and anticipation. Alwyn is right: there’s a charm and character about the place but it feels primitive. Provisions for fans along that stretch of road to the ground amount to little more than six fast food vans and some independent scarf sellers.
Fans queued up on the concourse outside for a picture with replica trophies from the club’s finest hour, the 1999 Treble. It felt rather instructive watching fans pose with trophies won nearly a quarter of a century ago – Old Trafford feels stuck in the past instead of moving with the times.
The N46 entrance to the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand is dark and dingy, while seat 115 on row AA – like many around it – is a faded red, which feels rather apt and reflective given the club’ relative downturn in the past 10 years. Leg room here is at a premium, with phone signal almost non-existent at times. Even the scoreboard – a narrow, electronic strip – situated above the tunnel feels a relic of the past.
James Young sells fanzine United We Stand – an independent publication for fans, by fans at home games. “It’s not good enough, it’s a mess of a situation compared to the more modern grounds,” he said.
“It isn’t fit for purpose any more. Look at what Man City have done over the road. Round here, there’s so much more United can do. There’s better grounds in the Premier League and Old Trafford hasn’t kept up.”
Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe are prepared to spend billions on acquiring this commercial behemoth and chief among the outlay will be renovating this grand cathedral of football – the biggest football club ground in the United Kingdom – or to take the hugely emotional decision to up sticks and build something else; New Trafford, if you will. To many, it’s heresy to even think about tearing this sacred place down. Others, though, sense an opportunity.
Jason Kouffor is an electrician from Didsbury and has been going to Old Trafford since he was six.
“I used to be dead against the idea of a new stadium but the more I come here, the more I feel it could be a good thing. Imagine a 100,000-seater stadium, proper food, proper beer and a really big fan experience,” he said.
“We’re behind the times. Look at Tottenham’s stadium, that’s what we should aspire to be, but bigger.”
Tottenham’s 65-metre Goal Line Bar – the longest in the UK – springs to mind at half-time as you queue on a small concourse behind the stand. It’s cramped and unwelcoming here – no problem if Carling is your beer of choice but that is the extent of your options. No chance to review any pies as they had all sold out by the time the queue had dissipated.
Sunday’s FA Cup match was Pandora Bletchley’s first pilgrimage to M16. She’s 24 and a quarter-final ticket was a birthday present.
“It's massive, and when you walk up the steps and see the pitch for the first time, it’s amazing. It’s a bit dated though,” she said. “I’ll definitely come again but the concourse was grotty and it didn’t feel that slick.
“I didn’t get anything at half-time as nothing really appealed to me.”
Sheikh Jassim's representatives and Ratcliffe himself visited Old Trafford last week. Conservative estimates suggest it will cost in excess of £1 billion to bring the stadium into the 21st Century. The Quadrants, planned and budgeted before the Glazer takeover, were finished in 2006 but close to two decades on, time has stood still. To United’s credit, though, £12 million has been spent on improving disabled facilities, including a new purpose-built concourse at the back of the Stretford End. The accessible facilities hold 278 wheelchair positions and 278 dedicated amenity seats across the stadium.
United's prospective owners have received a presentation entitled “opportunities and challenges” which aptly summarises the situation with their home. Old Trafford is an impressive, almost intimidating sight as it looms large on the Manchester skyline and the club-owned ground around the stadium is vast. There’s ample opportunity to develop immersive fan experiences, but it will come at a cost. Behind the Trafford pub on Chester Road at the top of Sir Matt Busby Way stands a disused derelict building that remains a blot on the landscape.
United were criticised by the council for ‘failing to implement adequate procedures to control pests’, in 2015, amid an infestation of mice on multiple occasions. No such visits from any furry interlopers, at least in the Fergie stand, on Sunday though a swiftly cleared can of Raid, designed to kill ants, suggests any mice would not be alone.
Interestingly, those with space on the packed tram back into town after the game all had the same method of catching up with the key events from Old Trafford – TikTok. Back in the 90s, you could read The Pink on the way back – a match report in print, with pictures, from the game you had just watched. The fans have moved on these days. It’s time Old Trafford did the same.
Manchester United on a matchday is a curious paradox; the club’s 113-year-old home is a citadel for 73,511 supporters to live vicariously through their heroes yet it’s a place of creaking fallibility. Sepia-tinged reminders of former glories, ageing facades, cramped concourses and dodgy phone reception.
Old Trafford’s decay mirrors the stagnation in these post-Ferguson years and offers a stark reminder that the Glazer family have stood still while rivals have either updated their homes or moved to a new stadium. Memo to Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani or Sir Jim Ratcliffe: you are going to need to dig deep here and it will take more than a lick of paint to liven the place up.
“The place is just tired. It still has character as it’s old but the place is so far behind the times. It's embarrassing walking in here and seeing rust and roofs leaking. It feels small-time,” United fan Alwyn Robson, 45, said before Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final win over Fulham.
“It still has a charm about it but the food and beer is second rate and it’s so small inside. You end up having to leave about five to 10 minutes before half-time just to make sure you get a lukewarm pie.”
Walking up Sir Matt Busby Way to the ground, there’s an intoxicating elixir of burger vans, fried onions, and anticipation. Alwyn is right: there’s a charm and character about the place but it feels primitive. Provisions for fans along that stretch of road to the ground amount to little more than six fast food vans and some independent scarf sellers.
Fans queued up on the concourse outside for a picture with replica trophies from the club’s finest hour, the 1999 Treble. It felt rather instructive watching fans pose with trophies won nearly a quarter of a century ago – Old Trafford feels stuck in the past instead of moving with the times.
The N46 entrance to the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand is dark and dingy, while seat 115 on row AA – like many around it – is a faded red, which feels rather apt and reflective given the club’ relative downturn in the past 10 years. Leg room here is at a premium, with phone signal almost non-existent at times. Even the scoreboard – a narrow, electronic strip – situated above the tunnel feels a relic of the past.
James Young sells fanzine United We Stand – an independent publication for fans, by fans at home games. “It’s not good enough, it’s a mess of a situation compared to the more modern grounds,” he said.
“It isn’t fit for purpose any more. Look at what Man City have done over the road. Round here, there’s so much more United can do. There’s better grounds in the Premier League and Old Trafford hasn’t kept up.”
Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe are prepared to spend billions on acquiring this commercial behemoth and chief among the outlay will be renovating this grand cathedral of football – the biggest football club ground in the United Kingdom – or to take the hugely emotional decision to up sticks and build something else; New Trafford, if you will. To many, it’s heresy to even think about tearing this sacred place down. Others, though, sense an opportunity.
Jason Kouffor is an electrician from Didsbury and has been going to Old Trafford since he was six.
“I used to be dead against the idea of a new stadium but the more I come here, the more I feel it could be a good thing. Imagine a 100,000-seater stadium, proper food, proper beer and a really big fan experience,” he said.
“We’re behind the times. Look at Tottenham’s stadium, that’s what we should aspire to be, but bigger.”
Tottenham’s 65-metre Goal Line Bar – the longest in the UK – springs to mind at half-time as you queue on a small concourse behind the stand. It’s cramped and unwelcoming here – no problem if Carling is your beer of choice but that is the extent of your options. No chance to review any pies as they had all sold out by the time the queue had dissipated.
Sunday’s FA Cup match was Pandora Bletchley’s first pilgrimage to M16. She’s 24 and a quarter-final ticket was a birthday present.
“It's massive, and when you walk up the steps and see the pitch for the first time, it’s amazing. It’s a bit dated though,” she said. “I’ll definitely come again but the concourse was grotty and it didn’t feel that slick.
“I didn’t get anything at half-time as nothing really appealed to me.”
Sheikh Jassim's representatives and Ratcliffe himself visited Old Trafford last week. Conservative estimates suggest it will cost in excess of £1 billion to bring the stadium into the 21st Century. The Quadrants, planned and budgeted before the Glazer takeover, were finished in 2006 but close to two decades on, time has stood still. To United’s credit, though, £12 million has been spent on improving disabled facilities, including a new purpose-built concourse at the back of the Stretford End. The accessible facilities hold 278 wheelchair positions and 278 dedicated amenity seats across the stadium.
United's prospective owners have received a presentation entitled “opportunities and challenges” which aptly summarises the situation with their home. Old Trafford is an impressive, almost intimidating sight as it looms large on the Manchester skyline and the club-owned ground around the stadium is vast. There’s ample opportunity to develop immersive fan experiences, but it will come at a cost. Behind the Trafford pub on Chester Road at the top of Sir Matt Busby Way stands a disused derelict building that remains a blot on the landscape.
United were criticised by the council for ‘failing to implement adequate procedures to control pests’, in 2015, amid an infestation of mice on multiple occasions. No such visits from any furry interlopers, at least in the Fergie stand, on Sunday though a swiftly cleared can of Raid, designed to kill ants, suggests any mice would not be alone.
Interestingly, those with space on the packed tram back into town after the game all had the same method of catching up with the key events from Old Trafford – TikTok. Back in the 90s, you could read The Pink on the way back – a match report in print, with pictures, from the game you had just watched. The fans have moved on these days. It’s time Old Trafford did the same.
Teamviewer Stadium