Man Utd issues update on Old Trafford update as fans asked for input on stadium

Manchester United have progressed with the Old Trafford revamp plans, hosting their second session of the dedicated task force.

Back in March, it was revealed that a special group, led by athletics legend Lord Sebastian Coe, would convene to rejuvenate not just United's iconic stadium but the surrounding area as well. There are plans to wrap up the assessment stages by the close of this year, with initial talks kicking off back in April and the latest confab occurring early in July.

Getting the full group together every month is the goal for the task force, but with such high-profile names at the table, scheduling is admittedly tricky.

This assembly of minds is deep-diving into the realities of either giving Old Trafford a fresh face or punting for a whole new build, with aims to parade their insights towards the end of 2024. Once the dust settles on their proposals, business tycoon Sir Jim Ratcliffe will call the shots on the stadium's destiny.

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United's brass, represented by Collette Roche in the most recent supporters' gathering, shared the latest developments, stating: "Regarding the longer-term project, the Old Trafford regeneration task force met for the second time last week, including Duncan Drasdo from this body."

Manchester United CEO Richard Arnold this week reassured a Fans' Forum that the club was exploring all options regarding a new stadium. "Both meetings have been very positive, and the task force is making good progress in exploring the possibilities for a new or redeveloped stadium at the centre of a wider regeneration."

United chief operating officer Collette Roche also played down reports United were considering selling Old Trafford's naming rights. "You may have seen the media speculation around naming rights and ticket prices and it was just that: speculation," she said.

"We must look at all possible funding options, but it's still early stages with no decisions made. What we can promise is that fans through this forum and other channels will be kept informed and consulted every step of the way."

Roche had been challenged on stadium naming rights by a fan representative, who expressed concerns about renaming Old Trafford and said such action should involve supporter consultation, to which she agreed. Manchester City and Arsenal have sold their stadium naming rights to Etihad Airways and Emirates respectively and those are multi-million pound deals.

Renaming Old Trafford wouldn't be a popular decision among some fans, although others would accept a change should the extra revenue be reinvested into the first team.

Liverpool.com says: With most of the other grounds in the country being redeveloped over time, United's chiefs simply couldn't hold off any longer. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is clearly making his mark at Old Trafford with big changes made on and off the pitch.