For a while now, Manchester United are considering how to make their iconic but faded stadium fit for modern purposes. As per several UK sources, there are three possible outcomes, one of which being – tearing down the monumental Old Trafford?!The home of the Busby Babes and Sir Alex Ferguson’s 1999 treble winners – the Theater of Dreams. Well, all that romantics could meet a wrecking ball in the near future. Completely reconstructing English football’s most famous club stadium from the ground up would be an extraordinary and controversial way to solve the range of problems currently afflicting United.If the club chooses to do so United will construct a stadium to rival any in the world of sport. After all, they are blessed with acres of land on their current site in Stretford.Tue 23:00: (2.30) Man.Utd. (3.20) Atl.Madrid (3.60)One of two other two ideas being considered is to leave the stadium structurally intact but conduct a comprehensive revamp of spectator and corporate areas on all four sides.The second is to rebuild and extend Old Trafford’s aging and problematic South Stand up and over the railway line that runs behind it.At the moment, the South Stand revamp would be the most acceptable to fans and it also appeals most to the club’s owners the Glazer family and as such, it is the more likely option.On the way to increasing capacity from the stadium’s current 74,000 to beyond 80,000 – current building technology would enable the railway line to be navigated, an issue that was considered prohibitive for many years.Even with all the information leaning towards not tearing down the iconic venue, the option to demolish the 112-year stadium is understood to be real. It is part of the proposals that competing architects and engineers have been examining as they bid for the contract to carry out the work.Ronaldo’s next task – direct the Spurs hat-trick energy to his familiar La Liga foeGoing along with that scenario, the biggest obstacle to United eventually playing in a totally brand new stadium is that the team would have to find somewhere else to play for two years while it was built. There is no club outside the Premier League in the north-west that has a big enough stadium to offer their ground, sharing with neighbours Manchester City would never happen. Arsenal and Tottenham were lucky to await work on their new stadia to be completed at Wembley which was at their disposal to play home games.Despite several attempts at modernisation over the years, Old Trafford now falls some way below standards required by a top English club. Even so, it remains one of the most famous stadium in world sport and has played host to World Cup and European Championship games as well as a Champions League final.United have promised to consult supporters throughout the process and chief operating officer Collette Roche told a fans’ forum in December that several options were being considered.Facilities at places like Tottenham and Arsenal are currently far superior and the two could act as yard-sticks for the executives of United to be guided with in the future.
