WORK has already started on fixing Old Trafford’s leaky roof after water poured into the stands during yesterday’s loss to Arsenal.
The Gunners beat United 1-0 as Leandro Trossard’s goal returned them to top spot in their title fight with Manchester City.
That result left them stuck in eighth place and on course for their worst Premier League finish.
United are now at serious risk of missing out on European football altogether having lost 19 games in all competitions, which is the most since the 1978/79 season.
The latest setback was also their ninth at Old Trafford this campaign, the joint-most at home in a single season in their history.
However, it is not only the on-field issues that rival supporters are starting to laugh at with their stadium’s “leaky” roof being mocked for some time – while the condition of the ageing gantry was a point raised by fans last month.
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And as the rain tanked down in Manchester on Sunday, The Theatre of Dreams resembled more a Theatre of Streams after a storm created a waterfall in Old Trafford.
The problems with their ageing home were on full flow – sorry, show – just moments after the final whistle yesterday.
Water leaked through the roof and down on to seats next to the pitch as the heavens opened while the whole soggy affair was picked up by Sky Sports’ cameras.
Meanwhile, another clip that was allegedly shot in the away dressing room showed water dripping through a part of the ceiling.
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That video soon went viral, with one fan responding to it by asking: “Surely this is breaking the law, this must be very unsafe, they not regarding the safety of the fans or the players, how can they host games here, it’s not like it happened overnight. Can anyone tell me is this illegal?”
New co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe continues to make changes to personnel at the club, with the stadium remaining a serious concern.
He has proposed the idea of building a new stadium, but for now United remain left with the depleted Old Trafford.
However, repair jobs seemed to be well underway first thing this morning.
Builders were spotted abseiling up and down the side of Old Trafford to the roof in much sunnier conditions than those 24 hours earlier.
Workers in hard hats and high-vis jackets appeared to be assessing the damage to the roof.
But it remains to be seen whether Ratcliffe was able to convince Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer of the need for a new ground while he entertained him alongside Andy Burnham at the game.
The leaky roof has been known about for at least five years and is even being mocked by opposition fans now.
RACLIFFE’S OLD TRAFFORD PLANS
If a new stadium cannot be built, then Sir Jim Ratcliffe has several plans for their current home.
Architectural design company Populous are the firm behind some of the most cutting-edge and impressive stadiums in the world, from the brand new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to the iconic Wembley arch.
Now they have set their sights on improving Old Trafford by putting together three plans for the historic stadium.
Two of the three plans put forward by Populous would involve either a relatively small makeover project or an expansion of the south stand and complete redevelopment of the rest of the ground.
While the third option would mean the whole stadium is demolished and replaced with an entirely new arena in its place.
But it won’t come cheap with the estimated cost of building a new ground sitting at around £2BILLION.
While a redevelopment is reported to be expected to cost somewhere in the region of £800m and could take up to eight years to complete.
Populous have already managed to pull off stadiums that keep tradition, atmosphere and comfort at the top of the list of priorities for fans.
That means that the new Old Trafford will be covered in screens that illuminate the streets surrounding the Theatre of Dreams.
The firm were behind the design of Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium back in 2006 before aiding North London rivals Spurs in the construction of their 62,850 seat ground.
Man City supporters created the “Old Trafford is falling down” chant which now regularly reverberates from the away end.
But Ratcliffe wants to transform United’s 114-year-old home into the “Wembley of the North”.
Part of the £1.3billion investment confirmed by Ratcliffe on Christmas Eve included an approximate £237m guaranteed to be pumped into the stadium.
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One option could see the 74,000-capacity Old Trafford updated, renovated and expanded – at a cost of around £800m.
But the more exciting, and considerably more expensive, option would be for a brand new stadium to be built from scratch.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
