​Collette Roche, the CEO of New Stadium Development at Manchester United, has spoken to address a major concern surrounding the Old Trafford regeneration plans. Earlier this week, United confirmed the location for their proposed 100,000-seat stadium, which is anticipated to be the largest in the United Kingdom. The new ground will be situated roughly 350 metres to the north-west of Old Trafford, in the Stretford area, positioned between John Gilbert Way, Wharfside Way and Europa Way. Last month, United announced the purchase of a 25-acre parcel of land in the vicinity, and the stadium is earmarked to form part of a broader, sports-led regeneration of Trafford Wharfside. The project is projected to generate 48,000 local jobs and 15,000 new homes, while contributing about £7.3 billion annually to the UK economy.
There have been concerns that the construction, which could span several years, might disrupt Old Trafford’s operations and the team’s ability to play there. Roche has sought to reassure stakeholders that such disruptions will be minimal or avoided altogether. Speaking on the latest episode of the Inside Carrington podcast, she said, “We can’t build a new stadium at the expense of disrupting football today. So actually, the way that we’ve designed and developed this whole project has had that in mind.” She explained that locating the stadium further away from the current Old Trafford site has been crucial: “Where we’ve decided to locate the stadium, which is further away from the current Old Trafford, that’s been really important. We don’t want distractions, we don’t want to be playing matches in a building site.”
Roche emphasised that minimising disruption to Old Trafford was a central consideration from the outset. “It was really, really important [to minimise disruption to Old Trafford] because we got asked that question at the start.” She noted that even choosing to build a brand-new stadium, rather than redeveloping the existing one, carried its own implications. A retrofit could have required reducing capacity, preventing some fans from attending matches, and potentially disrupting players’ changing-room routines—disruptions that could have affected the cherished matchday experience. “The players would have had the changing rooms disrupted, and we know how important that matchday routine is to our players, so we didn’t want to interfere with that.”
Roche sought to reassure supporters that, even as a new arena forms part of the long-term plan, the club remains committed to preserving as much of Old Trafford’s heritage as possible. “We all know we’re so proud of being one of the richest heritage clubs ever, and we can’t lose that just because we’re moving a stadium. The fact we’re on Old Trafford still is good. We’re only 350 metres away from the current site, that’s really good.” She added that ongoing engagement with fans would help shape the project’s next phase: “And this is where we really need to understand through the next consultation with the fans, about what is it that’s really important that they want to take. They’ve told me, for example, the Munich clock, the tunnel’s important, can we think about how we can use part of the pitch? What are we going to do with Old Trafford that we’re sat in today?”
Roche also indicated that the club plans to hold consultations to gather input, and she underscored the broader aim of integrating the new stadium with the area’s heritage and community benefits. The discussion underscores a commitment to balancing ambitious development with the preservation of tradition, while ensuring the football club’s operations and matchday experience remain as uninterrupted as possible during the regeneration process.