Ratcliffe to Restore Davies’ Old Trafford Legacy
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been quick to begin his revolution at Old Trafford. The deal for his minority purchase of the club has only just been approved and United already have a new CEO, two new board members and potentially a new DOF lined up to go.
Rumors have begun to fly about player turn over and a new manager. While, Ratcliffe has also pledged close to $300 million to bolster the club’s infrastructure in the next year. More recently reports have even surfaced that he has begun shopping real estate for a new training ground.
But, what of Old Trafford? Manchester United’s home has been falling apart for years. And logistical issues continue to inhibit any of the club’s attempts to renovate and expand. Any United fan that has gone to a match can attest to the stadium’s energy. You can feel the the history and past glories from your seat. But, we can also attest to the decaying state of the ground and horrible amenities on offer.
When John Henry Davies purchased Newton Heath for all of £210 in 1902 his dream was to lift them to football glory. With that dream came a new name, Manchester United, and a new stadium, Old Trafford. Without Davies, Manchester United as we know it would not exist. And most importantly, that legacy is alive today within our stadium, if only barely.
Do we really want to wash aside that heritage for the frivolity of a shiny new toy? Or is it more important to let go and move on as both the game and business of football continues to evolve, leaving Manchester United in the dust?
A Little Bit of Old Trafford History
In 1909, Davies had decided that United’s previous Bank Street ground was too dilapidated and unbecoming of a European giant of football. Not unlike today. Within a year United would be playing to sold out crowds at one of the premier venues in the world.
Old Trafford’s original design was for a capacity of 100,000 fans. At the time, however, club secretary J.J. Bentley objected to such a large stadium. He believed United should save money by limiting capacity. He also voiced concerns that they would not be able to fill the grounds every week.
Back then, ticket sales were the primary source revenue for clubs. Meaning that without sold out crowds United would likely not have been able to pay off a 100,000 seat arena before going bankrupt. So, the plans were scaled to 80,000.
Davies then purchased a plot of land in an industrialized area of Trafford Park in Manchester, giving the stadium it’s name. The idea being that United would become a team for the blue collar workers at the local factories. United would even go on to schedule their matches at times when the factories were either closed or turning over shifts, so that they could ensure the maximum number of fans could go to matches.
Davies then employed renowned Scottish stadium designer Archibald Leitch to come up with the designs. In less then a year his dream had become a reality, when in February, 1910 Old Trafford was unveiled to a sold out crowd. In all it only cost Davies $90,000 including the land to build United’s home in its original conception.
Old Trafford’s Evolution
Since it’s construction Old Trafford has been renovated eight times. Flood lights had to be added. New stands were added to expand the ground. Eventually, it was converted to an all seater after years of accidents in the standing sections. The roof, museum and megastore were also all retrofits on the current arena.
Old Trafford as it stands unfortunately, is also not it’s original form. During World War II the stadium served as a military depot. It was used as a recruiting and processing center for soldiers enlisting. And it was used for storage of army supplies and munitions. It became a key target for German bombers. Old Trafford was hit twice by air raids and all but leveled.
The only part of the original stadium that still stands is a section of the tunnel between the players locker rooms and the original players entrance. It had to be completely rebuilt. Old Trafford was finally reopened in 1949 after 10 years without a football match played.
After it’s second unveiling Old Trafford returned to it’s former glory. In addition to being United’s home ground, it was once regularly used for cup finals, friendlies and international matches. Including three matches of the 1966 World Cup. It has since become one of the most iconic grounds in the world.
Once Great Old Trafford Falls Into Ruin
Once upon a time Old Trafford was one of the truly great sporting venues. However, since then the heritage left to us by John Henry Davies has been squandered by the Glazers. Their neglect is proving just as effective as the German’s bombs were.
The lack of proactive investment into the stadium has led to a variable cornucopia of problems.
The roof leaks, in some spots like Niagara Falls. There is absolutely no leg room at your seat. The only alcohol available is warm beer and the best food they offer is a bag of crisps. They do serve some hot food, but it’s never really hot. I once ordered a steak pie that was still frozen in the middle. Only a few months ago United had to fire their chief culinary officer when 30 people fell ill eating raw chicken at a match.
The bathrooms are usually leaky, sometimes overflowing with excrement, and there aren’t nearly enough of them. Handicap access is tedious at best. The concourses are the size of my college dorm. And the museum hasn’t been renovated since before I was born. The only thing to standard at Old Trafford is the team store, go figure, and the environment created by the fans.
What is worse, because of the decaying state of Old Trafford, it has habitually been overlooked for cup finals, international matches, NFL matches, rugby matches, concerts, and the Olympics. All of which brings revenue into the club. Not only have the Glazer’s allowed the rapidly declining fan experience, but they shoot themselves in the foot by not having a ground good enough to attract other sources of revenue.
The Fans Deserve More
Perhaps making matters worse for United fans is the endless supply of top tier attractions available at countless other stadiums that we can only wish for at Old Trafford.
The Allianz Arena where Bayern Munich play has individually luminous, inflatable, exterior panels that can change color to match the teams playing.
The Amex where Brighton play is guarded by a battalion of trained hawks, just saying, that’s kind of badass. Tottenham’s stadium has the longest continuous bar in Europe, a pitch that can interchange for different sports, and a Formula 1 racing experience in the basement.
The Birds Nest in China, FC Bate Stadium in Belarus, Baku Crystal Hall in Azerbaijan (left) and Stadion Energa in Poland are modern artistic marvels.
The SoFi stadium in Los Angeles boasts the worlds largest screen. In Atlanta, Georgia, the Mercedes-Benz stadium is about as luxurious as their cars. Angel’s Stadium in Los Angeles has a waterfall built into the center field stands.
Several grounds, boast Michelin star, James Beard winning, and/or celebrity chefs. Some have craft alcohol and locally collaborated swag or gear. Many arenas employ celebrity DJ’s, musicians or dance troops for game days.
There are also countless venues, including college stadiums that all have significantly greater capacity, fewer obstructed views, and better basic amenities than Old Trafford. While the list of premium amenities on offer is seemingly boundless.
We as Manchester United fans have longed for but a taste of such luxuries. We deserve a venue befitting of the largest football club in the world. While the players deserve facilities they are proud to play in.
Old Trafford to Become the Gold Standard
The question is, can we get these kinds of experiences by simply renovating Old Trafford, or is an entirely new facility necessary?
Sir David Brailsford’s audit of the club has clearly ruffled feather at INEOS. Rumors have been gathering momentum that Ratcliffe has been wholly unimpressed with Old Trafford. Unfortunately, after experiencing the club’s facilities first hand he is seeing what fans see. That they are barely on par for the average League One side, let alone a giant of world sport.
Each of us has an opinion about renovating vs rebuilding Old Trafford. There is no doubting how sensitive and important a topic this is for fans. However, I believe that the Information available to us mere plebes clearly points to one answer.
Renovate…
The arguments for renovation are what you would expect. Fans want to keep the heritage of the stadium. Old Trafford has a rich history and is deeply symbolic to many of us. That history deserves our respect and to be around for future generations to appreciate.
Renovation is also the cheaper, more socially and environmentally conscious choice. Something that I think many fans will appreciate in an era where everything is considered disposable.
What’s more, It is great having a new owner but, with all the rumors flying around about new players, new training facilities, new infrastructure, how much money is INEOS really willing to invest? They aren’t a blank check. Where as the other option is to finance a rebuild or sell the naming rights. But, is it worth it to sell out or leverage more debt on the club, who are already close to $1 billion in the hole?
A fellow United fan also made this point to me recently. Despite all of its problems, Old Trafford is still regularly voted as one of the best in seat fan experience in the Premier League. The atmosphere at our ground is simply without words. It is an other worldly experience, unlike any other on this planet. And on how many occasions has that atmosphere been the vital 12th man to spur the Red Devils to victory?…
Have we really become so fickle and entitled as fans that none of that is worth preserving?
Rebuild…
However, a rebuild has it’s own merits that cannot be understated.
Probably the number on reason why a it is a good idea, is that renovating Old Trafford has become a logistical nightmare. Its proximity to a rail line and canal means the club need city approval for any renovations or expansion. Approval which has proven very difficult to attain in the past.
United hired stadium masterminds, Populous to look into options. However, they have reportedly stated that not only would it take an unreasonable amount of time to get council approval and renovate, there would be no guarantee they could deliver the upgrades necessary under council restrictions.
Even if they could get approval, United would have operate at reduced capacity or rent out the Etihad to allow for construction. Both options would kill ticket revenue for potentially years as renovations were being done.
Forgetting logistical issues, rebuilding would give us a state of the art new stadium. One to rival the best in the world, that fans and players can be proud of. The new ground could also be built adjacent to the current one to allow matches to continue without a loss in revenue or relocation.
Once finished, Old Trafford could then be demolished to make way for a new fan park, media facilities and hospitality services. There have even been rumors of a Manchester United hotel being built. All lending to a greater fan experience.
It would also allow for a greater capacity, more premium amenities and a more comfortable experience. All of which would reattract interest from other potential events and sports, increasing the long term return on the stadium considerably.
Old Trafford 2.0, Here We Go!
Originally, my nostalgia for Old Trafford overruled reason. I was in favor of renovation. I’ve been to Old Trafford on some spectacular nights, and to risk losing that feeling and memory genuinely hurt to think about. I also wholeheartedly believe in the preservation of history.
However, on reflection, I never really remember leaving Old Trafford thinking, WOW, what an amazing stadium. In fact, I usually end up thinking the opposite, thank god that match was good, because the food was shit, and my shoes have piss and excrement on them.
Personal experiences aside, building a new stadium sounds like the smartest decision. It would take less time to complete, and wouldn’t disrupt match day revenue. Nor would we have to rent out the Etihad, which makes me cringe to even think about.
It would also give the club a significantly greater long term return because United could have a stadium that attracts other events and an increased capacity. Fans would be guaranteed a greater experience. And there is even an argument that it could attract better players, who would otherwise be turned off by the cringeworthy state of Old Trafford.
There are also other ways to preserve history, energy and nostalgia without having to spend unreasonable amounts of time and money restoring Old Trafford. Especially considering there is no guarantee that renovations could deliver a superior end product. These things are preserved by us the fans. They exist where we go, not in some decaying pile of brick, metal and undercooked chicken.
Glory, Glory Man United!
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