Man United appoint architects who built Tottenham ground to revamp Old Trafford

Legends International and Populous, who were involved in the building of the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, have won the contract to work on the 112-year-old venue.

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In a first significant step, Manchester United has appointed a team of consultants to create a master plan to redevelop the iconic Old Trafford stadium. The architects who were involved in rebuilding the stunning 1 billion pounds Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Legends International and Populous have bagged the contract to work on the 112-year-old venue.

"Manchester United has appointed a team of leading consultants to begin work on creating a master plan for the redevelopment of Old Trafford. The team will be led by Legends International and Populous, both of which have a wealth of stadium development experience from across the globe," a club statement read.

"Work will begin immediately on developing options for Old Trafford and studying their feasibility, with the aim of significantly enhancing the fan experience. Fans will be at the heart of the process, starting with a meeting between the consultants and the Manchester United fans' advisory board later this month," the statement added.

"A similar process is already underway in relation to the club's training facilities, with KSS appointed to develop a master plan for an expanded, state-of-the-art facility for the men's, women's and academy teams," the statement concluded.

Reports had suggested last month that bulldozing Old Trafford and rebuilding the iconic stadium from scratch was one of the three options being considered in the mega revamp project. 

Apart from demolishing the stadium, other options reportedly include a 400 million pound expansion of Sir Bobby Charlton Stand up and over the railway line behind it. This option would take the stadium's capacity beyond 80,000 spectators. The final option is to leave the stadium structurally intact but conduct a comprehensive revamp of spectator and corporate areas on all four sides of the ground.

According to a Daily Mail report quoting sources, United remains open-minded about the redevelopment, adding that the club will 'focus on modernisation and potential expansion' while aiming to 'preserve the identity and heritage of Old Trafford'.

Considered one of England football's most iconic stadiums, reports suggested that the Glazers Family have been warned it will cost them up to 1.5 billion pounds if they choose to bulldoze Old Trafford and raise it from the ground up.

Prices of steel and other essential materials have risen sharply since the Lily Whites built their new home, and the Ukraine war could skyrocket the prices, further increasing the cost to rebuild Old Trafford significantly. It is understood the club may cover building costs through loans and the issue of bonds.

In 2019, United invested almost 20 million pounds in Old Trafford, of which 11 million pounds was spent on improvements to accessible facilities, 4 million pounds on security and 4 million pounds on refurbishing hospitality locales. But despite several attempts at modernisation over the years, it now falls some way below the standards required by a top English club. Facilities at places like Tottenham and Arsenal have been regarded as far superior.