Final decision on Old Trafford development pushed back

Manchester United are delaying their decision on stadium development until next summer.

The club are looking into whether they can secure additional land around their existing Old Trafford home, which would aid the delivery of a new 100,000-capacity stadium.

A Task Force headed by Lord Coe has been put together and it’s understood that they’ve urged the powers that be at Old Trafford to be as “bold and brave as possible” in their attempts to maximise the potential impact of any stadium development, as per The Telegraph.

Of course, fans are split on what to do with Old Trafford. Some want the stadium to remain, while others call for a new building on the same grounds.

The Task Force are due to deliver an “options report” by the end of next month.

Both redevelopment and new-build options are still on the table. United invited 500,000 supporters to a survey to collect the views of those who will be impacted most.

The extra time will give United a chance to explore what is possible to maximise the area available. There is plenty of industrial land that could be used as part of the regeneration project.

Manchester United will fund stadium

It was rumoured that United would seek public funding for the Old Trafford regeneration project, but that will not be the case.

The report states United will fund any new stadium development themselves, with financing options and what that would mean for supporters being explored.

There could be public money for related transport and infrastructure costs that would enable such a project to realise its full potential as well as benefit the wider region.

Not only would this mean improved infrastructure for the Trafford area, but it would also mean extra jobs.

But now we know a decision on Old Trafford won’t be made until next year at the earliest.