Ratcliffe's plans for a new stadium spark debate

Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe has sparked controversy over his plans to demolish Old Trafford and build a new 100,000-seater stadium, but has also received support from industry insiders.

The Red Devils have announced plans to demolish Old Trafford and build a new modern stadium at a cost of around £2 billion. The new stadium is expected to take five years to build and is expected to boost local economic growth and create around 92,000 jobs.

However, the plan has been criticised by some fans and experts. Some fans believe the design of the new stadium is "ugly", while former Arsenal star Paul Merson and others have suggested that Manchester United should prioritize investing in the squad rather than the new stadium.

However, Manchester United's new stadium plan has been strongly supported by senior architect Patrick Campbell, who elaborated on the project vision in an official interview with the club: "The starting point of all this is the challenge proposed by Jim Ratcliffe - to build the world's top football stadium."
“It’s all about football, focusing on the atmosphere, the fan experience and making sure it’s the best stadium in the world.”

"We are studying the distance between the seats and the stadium, how to bring the fans closer to the game, how to get the whole stadium to work together to create a shocking cheer, so that this stadium will not only be a witness to victory, but also a cradle of a championship team."

“Acoustics, views, proximity to the pitch, these are the key points we want to optimise. Perhaps this will become the largest football stadium in Europe, or even the largest club stadium in the world.”

Campbell also stressed that fans will play an important role in the project: "It is still in the early stages. Our goal is to build the best football stadium in the world, but we must work with fans, local communities and all stakeholders to ensure that they regard it as 'their club, their stadium'."
"We are only temporary managers. Our responsibility is to help the stadium find the right shape, and we look forward to continuing the wonderful discussions with everyone."

Meanwhile, Manchester United will continue to use Old Trafford until the new stadium is completed.