It’s nicknamed the “Theater of Dreams,” but as Gary Neville has pointed out repeatedly over the past few weeks, the cold reality is that Old Trafford is anything but that.
That’s not because Ole Gunnar Solskjaer failed to deliver a Premier League title to Manchester United fans. Neville has no doubt about it – it’s the fault of the glasses who left the venue “rusty and rotten”.
On a superficial level, Old Trafford seems a fantastic stadium and its 76,000 capacity is the highest in the Premier League. However, the work for many people was completed and approved back in 2006 before the Glazers bought the club in 2005.
Old Trafford is a prestigious stadium, but there has been criticism of how the Glazers have run the venue – and let it fall into disrepair – since they bought Manchester United in 2005
United fans often complain about the leaking roof at Old Trafford – it was especially bad when it rained heavily in 2019 ahead of the Manchester Derby (left), while fans watching 2012 Olympic football (right) were also affected
Hundreds of Manchester United fans stormed the pitch at Old Trafford in protest against the club’s American owners ahead of Sunday’s game against Liverpool, which was later postponed
Bigger doesn’t mean better now, and other venues are leading the way. Tottenham’s stadium is perhaps the best in all sports. Manchester City has since expanded the Etihad, while United fans may even take a disapproving look at the M62 at Anfield, recognizing that the Fenway Sports Group did a great renovation due to its drawbacks on Liverpool’s main stand.
According to football blog Swiss Ramble, United has spent £ 118m on its stadium over the past 11 years, while Liverpool has spent £ 278m, City £ 374m and Tottenham has spent £ 1.4bn.
And at City, the corporate package outperforms anything United has to offer. The Tunnel Club is the jewel in the crown and allows fans to watch the teams line-up before they go onto the pitch through windows in the tunnel. This experience starts at £ 299 per game, but even City’s fan zone is widely considered to be better than what United offers.
The city benefits from a lot of land around the club, while at United the space is a bit more cramped. In particular, it is their southern exposure that is the problem.
Behind this part of the stadium runs a railroad track that, along with the enclosure, limits how much United can do to expand it in the future.
Sportsmail reported last February that United would ideally want to expand Old Trafford’s capacity up to 90,000, but the work to bring it up to date would not only cost £ 200million but United looking after a temporary home would leave.
“It’s a very complex technical challenge,” said Richard Arnold, managing director of Manchester United, according to the BBC in 2018. “It would be a multi-year challenge and it is not certain that there is a way that does not do it.” Don’t make us homeless.
Every United fan sitting in this part of the stadium, which was renamed the Sir Bobby Charlton booth in 2016, agrees it feels dated. The roof has been known to leak when it rains and this has long been a complaint from matchgoing supporters.
The Manchester City Tunnel Club business package far surpasses anything at United
In Liverpool, Fenway Sports Group owners have their flaws but they did a good job overseeing the renovation of Anfield’s main booth to increase capacity
Gary Neville has often underlined his misfortune about the current standards of Old Trafford
A storm hit northwest England in April 2019 and in the hours leading up to the Manchester Derby at Old Trafford part of the roof gave way and water spilled onto empty seats below.
Something similar happened in 2012, when Olympic football was played in Old Trafford – during a heavy downpour between Spain and Morocco, leaks occurred in numerous parts of the roof. The stewards were able to move the fans around the stadium that day as it was not fully occupied.
Another example of Old Trafford’s embarrassment is the rodent problem.
Sportsmail reported back in January 2015 that United was struggling with a mouse infestation in the stadium and that the animals had not only come onto the field, but also found their way into the offices of the employees.
But they failed to respond, and later that year, in September, United was criticized by council inspectors for “failing to put proper pest control in place”, particularly in areas of the stadium where food was served.
Mice have been a recurring problem at Old Trafford, and it is likely that in part it is its location near a canal.
In 2010, a mouse flickered across the field when United played against West Ham. Four years earlier, in 2006, during their 5-0 defeat in the FA Cup, Burton Albion complained to the referee that there were mice all over the field.
Old Trafford’s south booth, renamed after Sir Bobby Charlton, needs upgrading, but its location is a problem for maintenance work to be carried out
Old Trafford previously had problems with mice and the rodents were seen on the field
In a 2015 food and hygiene report, United was criticized for failing to put in place pest control practices in areas of the stadium where food is being prepared
This weekend’s protest against the glaziers coincided with Neville’s passionate plea for the sale of the United property, and he again underscored his dissatisfaction with the standard of the stadium.
“You’re looking at the club now, this stadium that I know looks great here (on TV) but when you go behind the scenes it’s rusty and rotten,” said Neville. ‘The training ground is probably not even the top 5 in this country, they haven’t reached the Champions League semi-finals in 10 years and we haven’t won a league here in eight years.
‘The land around the ground is vacant, dormant, and derelict, while every other club seems to be developing the facilities and fan experiences.
“The Glazer family is struggling to meet the financial requirements and fans say enough is enough.”
And United fans share their dismay at Old Trafford. When a debate raged on social media about the glasses on Sunday and some rival fans pointed out how much money the club had spent on transfers in its time, United fans were quick to point to the state of Old Trafford.
United fans repeatedly referred to the state of Old Trafford as a debate about the glasses raged on social media over the weekend amid the protests
A United fan said the leaky roof sums up how much the glaziers care about United
There is a lot the Glaser could do to improve the game day experience for United fans
“We haven’t invested in Old Trafford in years. Leaks in the roof only show how much the glaziers care about our club,” wrote one fan. “Our club’s legacy is at risk if these people keep taking from this club. The time for her is now, nobody wants an excuse. #GlazersOut ‘
Another said, “They don’t care about the club and they use it as a money cow. Old Trafford is falling apart, leaking all over the place and the roofs are messed up. However, they haven’t done anything to improve the structure of the stadium. ‘
If the glasses are really as thick-skinned as people think and have no plans to sell United, then stadium renovations are badly needed. There are ways to enhance any United fan’s game day experience when they can finally get back to the games.
