Old Trafford Extension

LoneGunM@n

Hopefully this won't mean less money for transfers:

United stadium plans under way

From Football365
United stadium plans under way
Tuesday July 06 2004

Manchester United have started work on their £45million stadium redevelopment - even though they will not receive the official go-ahead for the 7,500-seat extension until the end of the year.

While the movement of electricity, water and gas pipes would be necessary no matter when the construction work took place, it is a clear sign the club expect to be granted permission to fill in the corners of the massive North Stand - ruling out the option of using the cash earmarked for the project to fund a bid for Everton teenager Wayne Rooney.

United officials hope the move, coupled with David Gill's firm statement that the club were not in the market for any more major summer signings, will end speculation that Rooney is heading for Old Trafford - at least until the next transfer window opens in January.

The plans for stadium redevelopment were first publicised at the start of the year with United finally admitting there was scope for extending Britain's largest club ground above its current 67,500-capacity.

With Arsenal due to move into a new larger home at Ashburton Grove, the Red Devils are eager to maintain their financial advantage over the Gunners, without being forced into debt.

Costings for the whole exercise have already been taken, with full board approval expected to be granted next month. Providing Trafford Council raise no objections to United's application, actual building work would probably begin in March.

Once the work is completed, the club could bank an estimated £5million a season from the extra seats alone, money which Sir Alex Ferguson could then use to reinvest in his squad.

leeroybrown

Around 40% of United's annual turnover comes from the fact that they can fill the biggest stadium in the Premiership whenever they play any type of match. The redevelpment won't be long paying for itself at 7,500 extra ticket sales per home match. I'd certainly prefer to see this done rather than a rediculous bid for Rooney.

Big Ears

A 75,000 seater stadium is quite impressive .

I wonder will they have problems filling it .

KdjaCL

Been in that stand a few times ,fook me its massive.
With the corners filled in it will look rather nice.

kdjac

woosaysdan

75,000 thats big!!! on a side note what is the biggest stadium in the premiership?

Guy:Incognito

old trafford is aand will be by around 30,000 if this extention is done before arsenals new stadium.

KdjaCL

St james park holds 55k atm

kdjac

Guy:Incognito

52,219, so we both win.:D

Big Ears

Originally posted by KdjaC
St james park holds 55k atm

kdjac

I think its somewhere closer to the region 56,300 .

KdjaCL

Originally posted by Big Ears
I think its somewhere closer to the region 56,300 .

When i was there it was 55k

kdjac

Big Ears

has anyone got a list of all the premiership sides ground capacity , or just post saying u know what grounds hold so much .

cournioni

From worldstadiums.com

Premiership
1. Man Utd (Old Trafford) 68174
2. Newcastle Utd (St. James' Park) 52143
3. Man City (City of Manchester Stadium) 48000
4. Liverpool (Anfield) 45000
5. Aston Villa (Villa Park) 43275
6. Chelsea (Stamford Bridge) 42449
7. Everton (Goodison Park) 40200
8. Arsenal (Highbury) 38500
9. Spurs (White Hart Lane) 36214
10. Middlesborough (Riverside) 35000
11. Southampton (St Mary's) 32000
12. Blackburn Rovers (Ewood Park) 31367
13. Birmingham City (St. Andrews) 30200
14. Bolton Wanderers (Reebok Stadium) 28000
15. West Brom (The Hawthorn's) 27200
16. Charlton (The Valley) 26500
17. Crystal Palace (Selhurst Park) 26309
18. Norwich City (Carrow Road) 24349
19. Portsmouth (Fratton Park) 20200
20. Fulham (Loftus Road) 19148

Big Ears

Im sure thats a fairly reliable website , but im positive Newcastle's ground is of higher capacity that stated .

Oriel

Was there in March. Being a Liverpool fan, I wasn't to happy about it.

Pic here, quite big though.

Going on a tour of Anfield (hopefully) this month though.

S.

cournioni

Originally posted by Big Ears
Im sure thats a fairly reliable website , but im positive Newcastle's ground is of higher capacity that stated .

Championship Manager?

SteM

We were up close to the back of the north stand for a match once - almost got a nose bleed!

United need to do something to the interior of the south stand too, inside it's looking a bit run down.

Big Ears

Originally posted by PORNAPSTER
Championship Manager?

no , im a Newcastle fan

smemon

great news and money well spent, a guaranteed worthwhile investment.

75,000 should add a bit more noise, should be amazing for games like city, arsenal,liverpool etc.... and big european nights.

good to see we're still pulling away in terms of power and finance. but theres nothing worse than a stadium with building work going on, seeing a big empty gap on tv, just looks stupid, like in portugal, at braga.

will look complete now if that goes ahead.

SteM

There's no doubt that OT has a great atmosphere for certain matches (especially Euro nights) but sometimes it's awful - you could almost hear a pin drop. Personally I'd like to see the new seats allocated as season tickets being sold to the sort of people who will go week in-week out and add to the atmosphere.

If I remember rightly, the building work won't bring the capacity down while it's going on. It seems they have a way of doing it without disrupting the current seating arrangements.

cournioni

Originally posted by SteM
We were up close to the back of the north stand for a match once - almost got a nose bleed!

United need to do something to the interior of the south stand too, inside it's looking a bit run down.

They won't be doing anything to the South Stand AFAIK. Simply because there would be a lack of sun on the pitch which would cause huge problems with the pitch itself.

KdjaCL

Originally posted by SteM
There's no doubt that OT has a great atmosphere for certain matches (especially Euro nights) but sometimes it's awful - you could almost hear a pin drop. Personally I'd like to see the new seats allocated as season tickets being sold to the sort of people who will go week in-week out and add to the atmosphere.

Damn striaght ,i only been on saturdays and god its awful. Most places are like that Evening kickoffs have better atmosphere cos everyone drunk or cold.

kdjac

Guy:Incognito

Originally posted by Big Ears
Im sure thats a fairly reliable website , but im positive Newcastle's ground is of higher capacity that stated .

I got my figure off this site http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/newcastleunited/info/page.cfm?objectid=11245641&method=full&siteid=50081

SteM

Originally posted by PORNAPSTER
They won't be doing anything to the South Stand AFAIK. Simply because there would be a lack of sun on the pitch which would cause huge problems with the pitch itself.

No, I'm not saying they should change the stand. I like it as it is and it makes the ground stand out from some of the newer ones that all look the same.

I was just suggesting doing up the interior because it looks a little run down compared to the newer north stand.

Big Ears

Originally posted by Stekelly
I got my figure off this site http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/newcastleunited/info/page.cfm?objectid=11245641&method=full&siteid=50081

Ive heard attendances last year higher than what that site claims is the capacity .

Guy:Incognito

http://www.premierleague.com/search/search.html


If you go to statistics on the left, a window pops up and in the top left you can choose attendances, it says 52,193

smemon

ladies, ladies, calm down!!

its only a few thousand the difference! you lot would make an excellent leeds chairman. just what they need, fighting over every penny.

Guy:Incognito

i wouldnt mind the cash off the 4000 extra seats ,if its only a few pennies no 1 will mind. How much is a ticket for a newcastle game? £20? I could gladly live on stg£80,000 every 2 weeks

Bateman

In fairness, if they allocate the extension as season-ticket only space, ticket agencies and touts, as well as busy body travel agents, wil get their hands on a good proportion of them, by hook or by crook, so it will make little difference. I think for any team that plays in the CL regularly, and has big FA Cup games every season, extending the grould can only make sense, I can't see any negative aspect to it whatsoever.

cournioni

Originally posted by SteM
No, I'm not saying they should change the stand. I like it as it is and it makes the ground stand out from some of the newer ones that all look the same.

I was just suggesting doing up the interior because it looks a little run down compared to the newer north stand.

Ah right. Yeah it would be a decent enough idea to do that. I doubt if it will though. They wouldn't like changing the stand for our comfort tbh. Tight feckers!

smemon

yeah theres no negative aspect to extending only the cost obviously put it will pay for itself over time.

imagine if celtic or indeed ireland were playing in front of 75,000. twice the size of landsdowne. old trafford is wasted sometimes on 'family days out' and chinese tourists. theres nothing wrong with that but there is something wrong with it if they dont contribute to the atmosphere.

75,000 irish fans would lift the roof off that place and i'd gladly pay just to experience the atmosphere.

Bateman

Coming from a Chelsea fan, OT will never have the atmosphere, no matter how many shirt wearers they cram into it, be they Manc, Chinese, or Irish.

cournioni

Some of Irelands matches at home can be twice as bad as matches at Old Trafford, against Czech Rep and Brazil you could probably hear a pin drop it was so quiet. The Romania match was livened up by Keano's return though.

cournioni

Originally posted by Bateman
Coming from a Chelsea fan, OT will never have the atmosphere, no matter how many shirt wearers they cram into it, be they Manc, Chinese, or Irish.

I disagree. I think that if Season ticket holders were put in certain seats, or even have a singing section installed to OT it would liven up matches there 100 fold.

Real United fans are sometimes seated away from other real United supporters which takes away from the atmosphere because they can't sing. They should give the whole Stretford End to fans that are willing to sing for United. Let everyone else sit wherever they want other than the SE.

The Brigadier

Originally posted by Big Ears
no , im a Newcastle fan

http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Stadium/0,,10278,00.html?

52,193

From the Newcastle website...

Big Ears

Originally posted by The Brigadier
http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Stadium/0,,10278,00.html?

52,193

From the Newcastle website...

well I blame TV quoting wrong attendences :rolleyes: , those Bastards ! .

Guy:Incognito

Originally posted by Big Ears
well I blame TV quoting wrong attendences :rolleyes: , those Bastards ! .

dont you ever take tv's name in vain again, take that back.

Big Ears

Originally posted by Stekelly
dont you ever take tv's name in vain again, take that back.

Im sorry , its not the t.v.'s fault its Stephen Ailken and his cronies from RTE .

why would I have ever said anything bad about the t.v. .