Man Utd 'leak' name for new 100,000-seat stadium in official document at unveiling
Manchester United's new stadium name appears to have been leaked after the club made a huge announcement on Tuesday.
Since Sir Jim Ratcliffe purchased a stake in the club, United had been assessing stadium options and created an Old Trafford Regeneration Task force to make the decision.
And on Tuesday, conceptual images and scaled models designed by the architect Lord Norman Foster were unveiled at Foster + Partners' headquarters in London, with Ratcliffe confirming plans for a brand new 100,000 capacity stadium on the same site.
The stadium is poised to be the biggest in the UK ahead of Wembley and Ratcliffe stated the decision has been taken after noticing that Old Trafford "has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport".
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He said the club are pushing to create "a truly state-of-the-art stadium that transforms the fan experience only footsteps from our historic home".
Ratcliffe spoke at the announcement at Foster + Partners' headquarters in London, as did Lord Sebastian Coe, chair of the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force.
Media at the event were handed a document with key facts and figures about the project, revealing that it would be visible from the Peak District.
But in the same information sheet, the arena was referred to as "New Trafford Stadium" in bold before its capacity was compared to other grounds around the world.
It should be noted that it has not been confirmed that this will be the official name for the stadium and there is no mention of it on the club's website coverage of the news.
In June, Adam Crafton of The Athletic reported that United are considering selling the name rights in a bid to raise necessary funds.
Old Trafford has never had any naming rights in its 115-year history and in recent years English clubs have made huge money off their stadium having a brand or sponsor attached - with Manchester City's Etihad Stadium just one example.
Meanwhile, Wembley Stadium is "connected by EE" as part of a £10-million-a-year deal.
It has been claimed that United would be sell the entire of the rights as part of a lucrative contract.
Sir Alex Ferguson has his say
The project is expected to cost £2 billion and could be built within five years, with legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson a supporter.
"Manchester United should always strive for the best in everything it does, on and off the pitch, and that includes the stadium we play in," Ferguson said, as per ESPN.
"Old Trafford holds so many special memories for me personally, but we must be brave and seize this opportunity to build a new home, fit for the future, where new history can be made."
Topics: Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Man Utd
Josh Lawless