Manchester United have officially announced plans to leave their home, Old Trafford, for over 100 years and move to a new stadium.
The proposal was announced Tuesday and was supported by former manager Sir Alex Ferguson. The proposed 100,000-seat arena surpasses Wembley as the largest in the UK.
It follows recommendations and a series of fan consultations from the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, which was founded over a year ago.
Another option for the table was to redevelop the existing stadium, but the 20-time English champion chose to move to a new home. Sources informed ESPN that the club does not need to play the game away from Old Trafford while the work is complete.
“Today marks the beginning of an incredibly exciting journey to deliver what will become the world’s largest soccer stadium in the heart of reclaimed Old Trafford,” co-owner Jim Ratcliffe said Tuesday.
“Our current stadium has served us beautifully for the past 115 years, but we are behind the best arenas in the world sports.
“By building next to an existing site, we can preserve the essence of Old Trafford and create a truly cutting-edge stadium that transforms the fan experience only footsteps from a historic home.”
Old Trafford, which has a capacity of 76,000 after its last expansion in 2006, was opened in 1910. United’s plan was to have a new stadium with a potential capacity of 100,000 on the same site in Manchester, making it the largest stadium in the UK.
Sources told ESPN that plans and youth teams to keep Old Trafford as a women’s team home were explored, but were eventually knocked back.
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The new stadium is set to sit amid a wider redevelopment in the area where 17,000 new homes will be built.
Ferguson, United’s longest-serving manager, said the club was “brave” in deciding to leave Old Trafford.
“Manchester United should always strive for the best in everything they do on and off the pitch, including the stadiums we play,” Ferguson said.
“Although Old Trafford has so many special memories for me, we need to seize this opportunity to build a new home worthy of a future where we can be brave and create new history.”
The announcement comes days after thousands of United fans marched in protest of club ownership in the face of cost cuts, rising ticket prices and continuing failures on the field.
United is majority owned by the American Glazers family, which owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Investing, Ratcliffe vowed to bring the once dominant club back to the top of European football over a decade after his last win in the Premier League.
However, his first year in charge of operations was turbulent. United endured last year’s worst Premier League season and on a course that sets new lows this semester, the team is currently struggling with the lower half of the rankings.
United hopes the venue will be part of a wider project to revitalize the surrounding Old Trafford area. The UK government has already expressed support for the project, but details on how to raise funds are unknown.
British architect Norman Foster has been appointed designer.
Wembley is currently the largest stadium in the UK and with a capacity of 90,000 people, home to the English national football team.
Twickenham, home to the national rugby team, owns 82,500.
Old Trafford is the largest dedicated soccer stadium in the country, but has been dated compared to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, which regularly hosts NFL games.
This report uses information from the Associated Press.
