Inside the Old Trafford ‘Town Hall’ sessions

It was a feeling akin to that when United are awarded a penalty. Excitement balanced by hesitancy. Your brain rushes through thoughts of what is to come: something glorious, or something else.

At Tuesday’s ‘Town Hall’ meeting, as I listened to what might lie ahead with the Old Trafford regeneration project, excitement was the primary feeling.

It’s inevitable when you hear a member of the architect firm talking about a “world-class stadium that celebrates the club’s unique and extraordinary history.” It swells further when you get the chance to chat one-to-one with that expert, and they really do recognise how essential it is to focus on that identity in any new project.

Old Trafford Regeneration

says

More than 50,000 fans took part in our survey, which was distributed to Season Ticket holders, United Members, and Executive Club members in September – the highest engagement rate of any fan research conducted by the club.

Redevelop, or rebuild?

It’s a tough choice. As United fans, some of us have come firmly down on one side or the other. But I, and most people I know, are torn. It’s emotional.

As one of the panellists said: “These are the joint spaces where we share life memories together.” Or another: “You’ll get to do this once as a club and a city in your lifetime. So you better get it right.”

That’s pressure. And opportunity.

It’s no surprise that I and many fans I know are hesitant — a little bit scared, even. When you care so much about a place, as we do with Old Trafford, when so many of your most special memories are attached to a place, then it’s hard to imagine something different and new.

I remember talking to my barber once. He’s from Kurdistan and spoke about the town he grew up in at the base of a snowy mountain in northern Iraq. I asked him if one day he’d want to move back there, and he said yes, because there’s nothing like home. And to him, that mountain represented home, with life in his town revolving around it. The sight of it made him feel at ease.

I tried to think of places similar to this in my own life but, having grown up in a city, it’s harder. You’ve got houses, buildings, skyscrapers, shops, parks… but it’s all ever-changing and updating. There’s often no landscape that really roots you to a place in a city. No mountain, you could say. But Old Trafford is my equivalent. Something permanent. With the same streets, smells and emotions. And that’s why it means so much.

Old Trafford Regeneration

says

The survey results showed that 52 per cent declared support for a new-build stadium. Redevelopment of the existing stadium was preferred by 31 per cent of fans, with 17 per cent declaring themselves unsure.

And yet, knowing the history of this club, it is visionary ambition which drove us to the top of English and then world football. More than 100 years ago, during United’s first golden era, that included moving across Manchester to Old Trafford. People then shed sentimentality for progress, and we’d be loath not to follow their inspiring example. It really is a difficult balance. There are strong emotions on all sides of this. And excitement is the key one. When you hear of a redeveloped ground with an 87,000-capacity and vastly improved outside areas, that’s a thrill. Or a new build with space for 100,000… well, that would be quite something.

The key truth is that any conversation around this is good. I love Old Trafford, but we all know it could be so much better. And with this project, it will be, in one way or another.

Old Trafford Regeneration

says

The survey data showed the strongest support for a new-build stadium to be among current season ticket holders, with the desire increasing with age. Younger fans lean more towards redeveloping Old Trafford.

Most pleasing in Tuesday’s sessions was to hear the concerns of match-going supporters acknowledged. We don’t want a soulless bowl, we don’t want all tickets to be unaffordable and we don’t want the unique history and identity of the club to be lost. The survey responses made that clear, just as any conversation with Reds would do. Those speaking recognised those worries and gave some specific detail on them.

It was those little details that were most exciting. The mention of teams dedicated to acoustic design who work out the best way to retain that raw atmosphere that defines English football at its best. The idea of being able to walk to the ground from the city centre, along the canal which defines Mancunian history. The concept of wider concourses and better food and drink options but with identity maintained. One expert on the panel referenced Everton’s new stadium project, explaining that the concourses there, while obviously newly built, feel like an older stadium in their character because of the materials used and the way the space is designed.

Old Trafford Regeneration

Rick McGagh, Director of Fan Engagement says

“We know how important our home is to fans and we need to listen to them and gain all their views and insights in order to develop the world-class stadium they deserve.”

Another spoke about visiting the famous new stadiums built in the USA which clearly look great and feel great, but in a very different way to an English football ground.

“We don’t want just a bigger stadium if it’s at the expense of atmosphere,” they said. “That’d be a failure.”

That’s what I want to hear. And it’s only a start. But to hear experts recognising what fans want is always positive. That’s all we can ask for at this stage. The next step, of course, is for those opinions to be taken fully into account and influence the final project. Those in attendance promised that would be the case. If so, whatever the eventual choice is, we have something special to look forward to.

The opinions expressed in this article are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Manchester United.

Dive deeper into Old Trafford’s regeneration:

• The Town Hall sessions

   Gallery

  This gallery takes you inside Tuesday’s meetings between fans and the Old Trafford task force.

• Old Trafford survey results

   Collection

  In case you missed it, read eight key points from the first phase of fan consultation…

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