New Stadium or Revamp Old Trafford

[Ian Reus]

I was always firmly in the rebuild side of this argument but the fortress has been breached too many times in the last decade which has left a sour taste. Bad defeats against rivals, protests, and the stench of the glazers etc.

I'd rather we went all out (assuming we get rid the Glazers) and built a new stadium for a new era.

Worth a poll @Damien ?

 

[Shane88]

New stadium. The clinging to the past bollocks needs to end.

 

[Offside]

Neither a rebuild nor a new stadium elsewhere. Just redevelop the current stadium.

 

[dpansheth]

we can always rename it to New Trafford

 

[Nero]

New stadium.

 

[gaffs]

New stadium in the car park area to the North West.

I cant see how OT could ever be modernized and expanded to a level anywhere near what todays stadiums look and feel like. Not just from the seating perspective, how would we ever have the big concourse areas that the new stadiums have?

 

[Big Andy]

Wanting to knock a stadium down because we've had a few bad defeats there is a madness.

Just redevelop what we have. New south stand, new roof, new facade, new seats, update the concourses with state of the art technology.

That way you can do it one stand at a time and reduce the impact. No way should the stadium be anywhere other than where it is now.

I'd only have a new stadium if it was a massive video orb like that one in Vegas.

 

[NicolaSacco]

New stadium in the car park area to the North West.

I cant see how OT could ever be modernized and expanded to a level anywhere near what todays stadiums look and feel like. Not just from the seating perspective, how would we ever have the big concourse areas that the new stadiums have?

Do you really want it to look like the Arsenal or Spurs stadia though? Assuming that’s what you’re referring to. I quite like the traditional style aesthetically, but the problem is they often come with crap facilities under the stands.

 

[Ian Reus]

Wanting to knock a stadium down because we've had a few bad defeats there is a madness.

Just redevelop what we have. New south stand, new roof, new facade, new seats, update the concourses with state of the art technology.

That way you can do it one stand at a time and reduce the impact. No way should the stadium be anywhere other than where it is now.

I'd only have a new stadium if it was a massive video orb like that one in Vegas.

I wouldn't knock it down either. Perhaps modernise and let the women's team play their home matches there.

 

[HTG]

You lost so much of your identity in the last decade. You can’t afford to lose Old Trafford.

 

[Reditus]

I like the past. So redevelop existing for me

 

[Vault Dweller]

Modernise, absolutely do not knock it down.

 

[gaffs]

Do you really want it to look like the Arsenal or Spurs stadia though? Assuming that’s what you’re referring to. I quite like the traditional style aesthetically, but the problem is they often come with crap facilities under the stands.

The areas under the stands are so cramped at OT. Getting a drink is a nightmare.

I went to Wolves (Rashford winner) last year and their bars and concession areas are miles better.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

Build a new stadium, with blackjack, and hookers.

 

[gaffs]

I wouldn't knock it down either. Perhaps modernise and let the women's team play their home matches there.

With all due respect to the women's game, you cant put them in a 78k capacity stadium. It would be empty.
Massive upkeep cost on keeping two huge stadiums.

 

[Ian Reus]

With all due respect to the women's game, you cant put them in a 78k capacity stadium. It would be empty.
Massive upkeep cost on keeping two huge stadiums.

I'm sure with the right people in charge, we could get creative and have it pay for itself.

 

[Scottynaldinho]

Just spend the money of youth academy and player recruitment instead.

 

[TMDaines]

I'm sure with the right people in charge, we could get creative and have it pay for itself.

Through money laundering?

Half the problem with the women’s game and women’s sport in general is that people talk a lot about wanting to grow the sports and put them on parity with the men, but finding people to put their hands in their pocket for tickets is another matter entirely. Virtually all the large attendances are heavily papered or greatly subsidised.

 

[Rightnr]

New stadium.

Brief the architects and engineers to bring the spirit of OT to the new place, either with physical fixtures or just the feeling created.

 

[Flying high]

Neither while the glazers are in charge. We'll end up with a branch of asda with floodlights stuck on top.

 

[P-Ro]

Will getting a new stadium fix the pie situation though?

 

[NicolaSacco]

The areas under the stands are so cramped at OT. Getting a drink is a nightmare.

I went to Wolves (Rashford winner) last year and their bars and concession areas are miles better.

It’s the same at Portman Rd. Frustrating because they could get so much more money by improving the experience.

 

[gaffs]

I'm sure with the right people in charge, we could get creative and have it pay for itself.

With the space that United own, the two stadiums would be almost butting up against each other.

 

[Appletonred]

Knock the whole thing down and let the past be buried beneath it once and for all, this club has died a slow death since 2005, it needs new owners, a new vision, a new stadium, a new culture,
a new structure, by all means build a new stadium on the same spot but there has to be a complete revolution on the red side of Manchester and am sorry just like the one on the blue side in 2008 if we want
to move forward, it is time to embrace change, and change for the better, the new Manchester United with new owners in a new state of the art stadium, bring it on!

 

[RuudTom83]

Maybe Saudi or Jim can just buy the carpark off the Glazers instead and build a brand new club?

Call it United 2.0

 

[clarkydaz]

You lost so much of your identity in the last decade. You can’t afford to lose Old Trafford.

Agreed

 

[Ian Reus]

New stadium.

Brief the architects and engineers to bring the spirit of OT to the new place, either with physical fixtures or just the feeling created.

We could maybe salvage a part of Old Trafford to incorporate into a new stadium. Much like they did with Wembley. I don't hear many complaints about losing the stadium England won the world cup in.

 

[GMoore23]

Change "Rebuild" to "Renovate".

To rebuild is essentially a new stadium.

 

[mu4c_20le]

Old Trafford ain't going anywhere

 

[Rojofiam]

Expand and redevelop OT.

A toilet bowl to replace the current stadium is the stuff of nightmares.

 

[RVN1991]

Redevelop like Madrid did with the Bernabeu.

 

[Gawge]

The emotional attachment to a stadium which has been regularly updated (Ship of Theseus style), I don't think is a good enough reason to make it way more expensive and difficult to build a new stadium (which is effectively what you would be doing 'rebuilding' Old Trafford anyway).

That being said I think the best outcome is the 'in-between' Spurs style approach of just building it next door.

I think the way new stadiums are going (Spurs being an example), they are getting much better at making them have more of a soul. I would imagine an Old Trafford replacement would be even better and hopefully more unique. The Emirates-style boring stadiums should be behind us.

 

[Red Star One]

I’m still quite romantic so would like to keep Old Trafford as the last token of our connection with a more successful era. It’s a brand and a name recognized globally and it would take some risk to just demolish it. Then again, I’ve only been to the OT a couple of times and majority of you know the stadium much better than me - there’s no hiding the current state of Old Trafford is a disgrace and apart from a beautiful history our stadium is obsolete and subpar to some many others I’ve visited in Europe. A team aiming high can’t have such terrible facilities - but this requires investment and Glazers are not so fond of it. I am not even sure if Old Trafford could be modernized or it would cost much more than just starting from the scratch.

 

[sullydnl]

The worst thing we could do is spend a fortune to redo Old Trafford in a way that isn't future-proofed, meaning we would be unable to keep up with newer stadiums as they keep developing over coming decades. And there could be design issues in a rennovation that make continuing to improve over the longer term impractical. So if a new stadium is needed to keep up with other new stadiums as they're built, then bite the bullet and build a new stadium. It's important to remember that we're thinking several decades ahead in this scenario, not just looking at what works right now.

Ideally though, if you can rebuild Old Trafford so that it will be a top tier stadium now and over the coming decades then do that. The argument layed out in the OP makes zero sense to me, as we have far more positive history at Old Trafford than negative.

The future has to be the priority, but there's no need to discard the past if you don't need to. It just depends on what's practical.

 

[MoskvaRed]

I’d voted new stadium. The current place is a dump compared to the Etihad or Tottenham’s place and just reinforces the sense of a club lost in time. Even Everton will have a shiny new stadium soon.

 

[JoeyJoJoJrShabadoo]

Redevelop what we have. Create a new stadium only at last resort

 

[dannyrhinos89]

At this point I feel like there’s a curse on old Trafford, It’s definitely a massively outdated stadium I feel as others have moved on we’ve just been left stuck in the past.

I wouldn’t be against a new build.

 

[Rood]

Definitely prefer to renovate Old Trafford and retain the history - just look at what Real Madrid and Barca are doing as an example

However it may well be more cost effective to knock down and rebuild

 

[Thom Merrilin]

Rebuild the current one. I don't like the look of most modern stadiums.

 

[klayton88]

Whichever makes my OT Lego set increase in value.