OLD TRAFFORD was plunged into chaos when a storm hit on Sunday afternoon.
A deluge of rain fell during the closing stages of Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday.
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A two-hour downpour caused 41 millimeters of rain to fall at Old Trafford, more than in the entire month of May 2023.
According to The timesthe rain caused disruption to the post-game routines of players and media.
They claim the interviews had to be postponed due to “potential risk”.
While the report adds that reporters and club staff were forced to cover electrical equipment, or even move.
Water could be seen running down the Old Trafford stands after the match.
And even the tunnel was partially flooded.
The two-hour rain ended around 8:30 p.m.
Club staff were then forced to undergo an extensive “clearing operation” overnight.
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Their efforts ensured that the Theater of the Streams was fully operational again the following morning.
And so far there is no indication that Wednesday’s clash with Newcastle is in danger of being cancelled.
Old Trafford’s “leaky” roof has long been derided by rival fans.
But United claim Sunday’s problems were caused by “the roof drainage system overflowing”.
In recent years, Red Devils bosses have considered putting a new roof on their traditional home.
But they always decided not to do so, as they considered it too expensive a measure.
Although workers have already been seen climbing the infamous roof following Sunday’s disaster.
Since completing its partial purchase of the Red Devils earlier this year, Ineos has explored the possibility of building a £2 billion “Wembley of the North”.
In March, Sir Jim Ratcliffe outlined plans for a 100,000-seat stadium on the existing Old Trafford site.
There is a strong case for building a ‘Northern Wembley’
Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Appearing in Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast, the 71-year-old said: “You have this opportunity, if you want, to build a completely new piece of land because we have enough space.
“If you built a completely new ground it would be absolutely state of the art, world class, 90,000 or maybe even 100,000, which would provide a platform for some of the big competitions in the north of England.
“Why do England always play in the south? Why is the FA Cup final always in the south? Why can’t the Champions League final occasionally be in the north?
“Football in the north is as important as it is in the south, possibly more so, and people in the north pay their taxes, so why do we have Wembley, Twickenham, Wimbledon etc in the south?
“What do we have in the north? There is a strong case for building a ‘northern Wembley’.”
A task force has since been set up, led by Lord Coe and including Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
Man Utd icon Rio Ferdinand has also called on Ineos to improve the club’s training and changing rooms.
He told the Five podcast: “That’s one of the things I think the club needs to look at, what’s going on behind the scenes?
“The training, the way the players are there [and] what is the atmosphere like in the changing rooms and [around] the training camp?
“Because there is a lot to be said about this.
“If it’s not right on the training pitch, it invariably won’t be right on the field.”
RATCLIFFE’S OLD TRAFFORD PLANS
If a new stadium cannot be built, then Sir Jim Ratcliffe has several plans for his current home.
Architectural design firm Populous is the company behind some of the world’s most modern and impressive stadiums, from the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to the iconic Wembley Arch.
They are now focused on improving Old Trafford, drawing up three plans for the historic stadium.
Two of the three plans put forward by Populous would involve a relatively small renovation project or an expansion of the South Stand and a complete redevelopment of the rest of the ground.
While the third option would mean the entire stadium would be demolished and replaced with an entirely new arena in its place.
But it won’t be cheap, with the estimated cost of building a new site being around £2 BILLION.
Although a redevelopment is expected to cost in the region of £800 million and could take up to eight years to complete.
Populous has already managed to build stadiums that keep tradition, climate and comfort at the top of fans’ list of priorities.
This means the new Old Trafford will be covered in screens that illuminate the streets around the Theater of Dreams.
The company was behind the design of Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in 2006, before helping north London rivals Spurs build their 62,850-seat stadium.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
