Even on a freezing, rainy day with no match scheduled, the area surrounding Old Trafford in Manchester is abuzz with football fans from far and wide.
Just a day since Manchester United revealed their plans for the new 100,000-capacity stadium in Old Trafford, there is a sense of excitement at the new proposals: the plans promise 92,000 jobs and a large-scale “regeneration” of the area, including 17,000 new homes.
“I struggle to find negative things to think about it,” says the 35-year-old architect and local resident Curtis Martyn.
He and his neighbour Sandra Aguilera, 46, who works at Manchester city council, live close to the stadium on Railway Road. They are both enthusiastic about the regeneration plans for the area.
“I’m excited about the new quarter, I love the idea of investing in the north – I think that’s important, I love the idea of connection,” says Martyn.
Aguilera agrees. Looking at the stadium from her garden, she says it is an eyesore: “It’s not nice at the moment, it looks like a factory from the 80s.” Plus, she adds, the ventilation system is old, and fills the street with a constant hum.
Old Trafford has been the home of Manchester United for the past 115 years, and the cost of the project announced on Tuesday has been estimated at £2bn. The football club said they aim to finish building within five years, with the architects Foster + Partners hoping to begin work this year.
Illustrations of the proposed stadium and surrounding area show luxury flats surrounding what has been described as the “Wembley of the north” but also as looking like a circus tent.
The new stadium would be built next to the old one, which was originally considered for redevelopment, and would be the largest stadium in the UK, overtaking Wembley in terms of capacity.
Bobby Tabrizi, 65, is one of the owners of the United Cafe stand a few feet from the stadium. He says: “Ninety-nine per cent of our business is on match days. It’s good news, exciting news. Something needed to be done and it’s better to build a new stadium rather than spending money on Old Trafford as it is now.”
Although the changes could mean more competition from new food venues, he is more focused on the increased footfall the stadium could bring with a bigger capacity.
While many have welcomed the news as a boost for investment to Manchester, it is still uncertain where the funding will come from.
Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, was originally keen to share his excitement on the project, saying: “If we get this right, the regeneration impact could be bigger and better than London 2012.”
But he has gone on to reiterate that the club’s new home would receive zero public funding.
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“It is for Manchester United to fund their new home,” he said. “There will be no public money, and that will not change in the duration of this project. And I do want that message to be heard loud and clear today.”
This may cause trouble for the club’s grand plans. Only a few days before the announcement, fans marched in protest at Manchester United’s current owners, and over the significant debt the club carries.
Tony Ronan, 77, says the last time he went to a game at Old Trafford was when he was a young lad. He is concerned the cost of the new stadium will fall at the feet of United fans.
“The supporters will have to pay for this,” he said. “I am a fan but I don’t go these days because of the prices. I think if it’s good for regeneration then that’s OK, but it’s going to cost a fortune, and then for people to live there after regeneration it’s not going to be cheap,” he says.
The United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said: “I think a really good example is the Eiffel Tower. Everyone around the world knows the Eiffel Tower: you go to Paris, you stay in Paris, you spend money.
“We have 1 billion people around the world who follow Manchester United. I think everybody in the world who’s interested in football will want to visit Old Trafford.”
Ronan says that treating the stadium as a global attraction may affect local fans’ support.
“The whole idea, according to what he’s saying, is that he wants people from all over the world to visit, so therefore you’re going to need more room. I think the cost of it is going to reduce the ordinary person from being able to go.”
