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The new stadium, which will be the largest in the UK, will be built on club-owned land adjacent to Old Trafford, with architect Lord Norman Foster saying it will take five years to construct.
Man Utd’s co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said the intention is to create “an iconic football stadium”.
“By building next to the existing site, we will be able to preserve the essence of Old Trafford, while creating a truly state-of-the-art stadium that transforms the fan experience only footsteps from our historic home,” said Ratcliffe.
United have spent the last 115 years at Old Trafford, which currently holds nearly 74,000 spectators, and are expected to continue to play at Old Trafford while the new stadium is built.
The new stadium, referred to as ‘New Trafford’ in a briefing document, will feature an umbrella design which, according to its architects, will harvest solar energy and rain water.
It will also include three masts that will make it visible from 40km away.
In an intriguing aside, United believe the new stadium will therefore be visible, on a clear day, from ‘the outskirts of Liverpool’.
“This becomes a global destination,” said Foster. “This has to be one of the most exciting projects in the world today.”
In United’s unveiling of their plans, Ratcliffe, who has previously spoken of building ‘a Wembley of the north’, repeatedly stressed the success of English football clubs outside of London as a basis for the club’s proposal.
“The north of England has won 10 Champions League medals, London has two. But London has Wembley, Twickenham, Wimbledon and the Olympic Village,” said the United co-owner.
“The north of England deserves a stadium where England can play football, where we can hold the Champions League final, and one befitting of Manchester United’s …
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