It is known affectionately as The Theatre of Dreams. And soon it could become the theatre of even more dreams after plans to extend Old Trafford’s capacity by 12,000 seats to 88,000 were announced. If plans to extend the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand come to fruition, Manchester United’s home since 1910 will increase its standing as the largest club stadium in the United Kingdom and in the process become the second largest in European football. It will trail only FC Barcelona’s 99,354 capacity cathedral of football, the Camp Nou, scene of possibly the most dramatic end to a European final ever witnessed when United scored twice in injury time to win the Champions League (formerly the European Cup) for the first time in 31 years back in 1999. The planned expansion of the South Stand as it was previously known, has long been in United’s plans, but obstacles in the shape of housing and the adjacent railway line running behind it had prevented the club from bringing it into line with the rest of the ground which has undergone extensive refurbishment and expansion over the past 25 years. However, technological advances are now believed to have solved the problems previously encountered and should allow work to begin.
More Fans, More Revenue
Not only would an increase in capacity mean more fans of United coming through the turnstiles and having the opportunity to regularly watch their team play football, but in commercial terms, it would mean an increase in revenue streams for the club from tickets sales, probable increases in match day merchandise sales and likely increases in sales of food and beverages within Old Trafford. Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement from football in 2013, Manchester United has employed three different managers in search of a return to the pinnacle of English football. David Moyes, Sir Alex’s’ own choice to replace him lasted less than a season as the club toiled to a disappointing seventh placed finish. Louis van Gaal, the former Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Netherlands coach lasted two seasons but left with just a solitary FA Cup to show for his efforts and no Champions League qualification in his final season in charge. It remains to be seen what current incumbent Jose Mourinho will achieve during his tenure. But with well over £400 million spent since Fergie’s departure nearly four seasons ago and with Mourinho set to splash the cash again this summer as United strive to regain their domestic dominance, the announcement of a planned increase in stadium capacity does not come as a surprise.
Top Talent the Order of the Day
Indeed, the increases in revenue should help to ensure that United are able to continue attracting the world’s best talent as they did last summer when acquiring the talents of Zlatan Ibrahimović, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Eric Bailly and Paul Pogba who cost a world record fee when rejoining the club he left four-and-a-half seasons ago from Italian champions Juventus. The club has recently reached the final of the League Cup where they will face Southampton at Wembley later this month. But for a club the size of United, who have also recently been announced once again by Forbes as the richest club in the world, FA Cup and League Cup triumphs are not nearly enough. Van Gaal’s departure proved this. The minimum expected of Mourinho after his summer spending spree is a top four finish and a place in the lucrative Champions League.
Title Out of Reach? Champions League Qualification the Goal
It will be tough to achieve with champions in waiting Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and noisy neighbours Manchester City all standing in their way. But a recent run of form which has seen the club go 13 matches undefeated and collect 27 points from a possible 39 gives hope and more importantly momentum in their quest to do just that. Currently sitting 15 points behind leaders Chelsea, who incidentally were also the last club to beat them in the league, the title may be beyond them with the latest Manchester United title odds placing them as far out as 33/1. But with just five points separating United and fourth-placed Liverpool qualification for European football’s premier football tournament is a very realistic possibility and will also be extremely important come the summer transfer window. It’s a widely recognised fact that a club the size of United will never struggle to attract top players to Old Trafford. However, if they hope to attract the crème de la crème of world talent, such as Antoine Griezmann who has been heavily linked with a bumper move to the Red Devils this coming summer, the carrot of Champions League football could prove pivotal, in terms of both ambition and finance. In today’s world of modern football, there are very few tales of hard work and teamwork triumphing over the rich and powerful. Leicester City achieved the impossible last season when winning the Premier League, but you have to go back to the 1970s and early 1980s when Nottingham Forest under the late great Brian Clough and Aston Villa overcame the odds to win two English titles and three European Cups between them. With United’s resources it would be foolhardy to write off their hopes of regaining their perch at the pinnacle of English football soon. Money talks and United have plenty. They’ll have plenty more too when the planned expansion reaches fruition.
