A man wearing a replica Roy Keane shirt and his son are walking towards the famous ‘Holy Trinity’ statue of George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton.
But this isn’t your usual matchday father-son moment – something is very different. Instead of the still iconic but ailing trafford>Old Trafford stadium, they are walking hand-in-hand towards a huge bright red bowl emblazoned with the famous United crest across its side.
It’s not real – or not yet, anyway. It’s a digital mock-up of how Old Trafford might look if United’s billionaire co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ambitious plans to build a ‘Wembley of the north’ are realised.
It’s the latest, albeit incomplete and tantalising, glimpse of how the proposed 100,000-seater stadium would look, if it is ever built.
Die-hard United fans have watched in dismay as first their team has habitually underperformed since the exit of Sir Alex Ferguson, who retired more than a decade ago. The state of the ailing stadium has been emblematic of a decline on the pitch.
So the image – and others released by Manchester United to illustrate how the stadium would look amid a £4.2bn regeneration of the surrounding area – is cause for hope, not just for supporters but because of the 48,000 jobs and 5,000 new homes that could be created if the plans are realised.
The Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, chaired by Lord Sebastian Coe, has concluded that a simple redevelopment of Old Trafford would increase its capacity to 87,000 while a new stadium would hold 100,000 fans, far exceeding the 90,000 capacity of Wembley and making it the biggest arena in the country.
How Manchester United’s ground and the surrounding area could look under ambitious development plans -Credit:Manchester United
Most fans want a new stadium. As part of feasibility work, more than 50,000 United fans were surveyed, focus groups were established and open days held at Old Trafford to inform the work of Lord Coe’s task force.
Some 52 per cent reported they preferred a new stadium while 31 per cent said a re-development was best. Some 17 per cent said they were unsure. A consultation was also held with the 1,000 nearby residents and more than 60 per cent said the project would be positive, say United.
The report reveals plans to shift rail freight from the line which passes close by to the West Coast Main line, to allow improvements to public transport to service the new homes planned for Trafford Wharfside as well as the ground.
The images were released by United as a new report was published which detailed how regeneration would benefit the wider area. Many of them included fleeting glimpses of the stadium, from the sky, from a sunny boulevard teeming with residents many wearing replica shirts, from fancy apartments.
It’s a vast improvement on the model released at the Labour Party conference in September last year, in which the stadium looked like it had been moulded from a child’s sweet.
The regeneration will benefit all sectors of the economy, including the building of 5,000 homes in Trafford Wharfside, with the potential for up to 12,000 more, once the wider regeneration has been completed, the report says.
A decision on the stadium is due to be made before the end of the season.
Trafford council leaders meet to discuss the report on January 27 and will also discuss the benefits of the establishment of a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) to help drive the regeneration with powers to acquire and develop land.
The stadium, at the end of a tree lined avenue -Credit:Manchester United
Trafford council, Manchester United and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) have already formed a strategic partnership to maximise the growth and regeneration opportunities of the area.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “These proposals offer the biggest opportunity for urban regeneration this country has seen since London 2012 and are an important part of our 10-year plan to turbocharge growth not only around Old Trafford but across Greater Manchester.
“Our city-region is in a unique position. We are driving growth faster than the UK average, attracting more investment through innovative partnerships, and we have developed an innovative new mechanism to deliver the homes, jobs, and infrastructure that we need to lock in those benefits for years to come.
“Transforming the area around Old Trafford won’t just benefit Greater Manchester. By beginning to move freight away from the site we can bring new life to underused industrial land, open up capacity on our rail network, and unlock massive potential across the whole of the North. We are ready to move forward and will be working closely with government, our councils and communities, and the club to make sure we get this right.”
Lord Sebastian Coe, Chair of the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, said: “I want to thank the Task Force members for their dedication to this important project which will lead to significant growth not only for Trafford but for Greater Manchester and also the North West of England.
How Manchester United’s ground and the surrounding area could look under ambitious development plans -Credit:Manchester United
“Collectively we have examined a wide range of options to produce a report that outlines the huge opportunity that Manchester United and the local authorities have to deliver major economic and social growth. At the heart of the plan is a world-class football stadium which will act as a catalyst for one of the biggest regeneration projects ever undertaken in the UK.”
Coun Liz Patel, Trafford’s Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration at Trafford Council, said: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to totally transform Old Trafford and the surrounding area, creating tens of thousands of new jobs and much needed new homes.
“We are working with our partners at Manchester United, GMCA, Salford City Council, local residents and businesses to make sure these plans will benefit everyone.
“There will be new jobs, new homes, more shops and food outlets for visitors. It will be a world class experience for fans and it will create green spaces to make it better for the environment.
How Manchester United’s ground and the surrounding area could look under ambitious development plans -Credit:Manchester United
“This is a long-term plan that will take several years to bear fruit but, as the report says, this is one of the most significant opportunities for urban renewal in the borough and the results will be great for Trafford and the surrounding region.”
Paul Dennett, Salford City Mayor, said: “We fully welcome these important regeneration plans, they present a really positive step for the future growth of this area.
“This gives us the opportunity to explore all options associated with this area and together with our colleagues at Trafford Council and the GMCA, it means we can begin serious conversations about shaping the future of this part of the region.
“Our attention will very much be on Port Salford and how the plans in Trafford dovetail with our joint ambitions to realise significant growth opportunities in the ‘Western Gateway’ area. Key to this is exploring opportunities to secure significant infrastructure investment.
“The economic benefits associated with these opportunities are huge and we now need to ensure that we work collectively so that they are fully realised.”