Sir Jim Ratcliffe is urging Manchester United to finalize their stadium plans by December, expressing a preference for a new stadium that would accommodate 100,000 fans, with an estimated cost exceeding £2bn and an anticipated completion time of around six years.
This new structure would be built adjacent to Old Trafford, enabling the existing stadium to remain operational until the new venue is completed. A key factor in the design will be to ensure that it reflects the identity of the club.
Alternatively, a renovation of Old Trafford could be pursued, which would likely lead to a significant decrease in revenue due to certain sections being closed during the refurbishment or the necessity for United to play at a different venue during that time.
Colette Roche, the chief operating officer at United, is spearheading this initiative for Ratcliffe, who, as a minority shareholder, oversees football operations. Roche has toured various of the world’s top stadiums and consulted with owners or key figures involved in their development. Her discussions have included consultations with Real Madrid executives about the ongoing renewal of the Santiago Bernabéu, which started in 2019 and is close to completion, as well as an extensive review of SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
SoFi Stadium, owned by Stan Kroenke, the proprietor of Arsenal, opened its doors in 2020 and served as the venue for United’s friendly match with Arsenal last Saturday. The stadium has a base capacity of 70,240 that can expand to 100,240, took four years to build, cost over $5bn, and features a massive one million square foot canopy adorned with 27,000 LED screens offering prominent advertising spaces visible to aerial traffic approaching nearby Los Angeles airport.
Home to NFL teams the LA Rams and the LA Chargers, SoFi Stadium is also a significant concert venue, located within the sprawling 298-acre Hollywood Park campus, which includes retail spaces, residential units, and the YouTube Theatre.
United has conducted several meetings before their U.S. tour with stakeholders involved in the SoFi development to gain insights from the project, particularly regarding the campus aspect, as they evaluate optimal usage of the Old Trafford site.
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James T Butts, the mayor of Inglewood, a key figure in the development of Hollywood Park, commented: “I’m maybe biased, but I believe this is the pre-eminent sports venue in the world. The roof represents the biggest advertising opportunity in the world.”
