MANCHESTER UNITED are hoping new technology can help their women’s team feel at home in Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s huge new stadium.
The United co-owner announced the go-ahead for a £2billion, 100,000-seater ground on Monday.
ECAUnited COO Collette Roche has indicated Manchester United Women will use the new stadium[/caption]
GettyUnited Women currently play home games at the 12,000-capacity Leigh Sports Village[/caption]
United are set to leave Old Trafford behind to build an entirely new stadium.
It follows months of speculation, with the announcement following a sobering review of the Red Devils’ financial state.
Ratcliffe is adamant the new ground will “have a really intense atmosphere” and be the “best in Europe”.
United’s women’s team was founded in 2018 and currently play matches at the 12,000-capacity Leigh Sports Village.
They are the current women’s FA Cup holders and are currently second in the WSL.
United COO Collette Roche has confirmed the club are hoping to move the women’s team with them to the new stadium.
And they hope to embrace technology to make the ground feel “smaller” and more “intimidating.”
Roche said: “There’s technology now that can still give you the sense of a smaller, intimidating, great atmospheric stadium.
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“We think [that] could be befitting the women’s team with a smaller crowd.
“That’s the type of things we’re looking at, as well as technology for the pitch.”
Ratcliffe had previously indicated he wanted to build a “Wembley of the North” on the site.
The 72-year-old secured government backing in January to regenerate the area around the current ground.
A designated task force delivered its report on the feasibility of either redeveloping the existing 115-year structure or rebuilding a new brand stadium.
And they ultimately decided to move away from Old Trafford, which Ratcliffe admitted was “leaking from the roof.”
Ratcliffe said: “You know this expression – don’t spend good money after bad.
Man Utd ratings vs Arsenal as De Ligt shows exactly why Red Devils signed him but Zirkzee is as frustrating as ever
IT was a performance that would have pleased Ruben Amorim but a 1-1 draw with Arsenal does little to paper over the cracks at Manchester United.
On a day when the Old Trafford crowd protested the owners, the players stood up to show their remains life in a club that fans say is experiencing a “slow death”.
There was a lack of clear-cut chances in the opening 45 minutes as both sides goalscoring troubles continued.
A moment of magic was needed and Fernandes stepped up as he so often does.
Arsenal‘s wall was full of man mountains, but Fernandes found the power, dip and accuracy to beat David Raya with his free-kick – even if the wall was marched 11.2 yards back instead of the regulated ten.
Mikel Arteta’s side came out swinging in the second-half with their makeshift No9 up top, and it took a brilliant effort from Declan Rice to level the scores.
United were able to frustrate them and remain a threat on the counter but eventually had to settle for a point in a much-improved performance.
Here is how SunSport’s Martin Blackburn rated the United performances.
“I think what would have happened if we tried to refurbish the stadium, we would have discovered that it actually would probably have been 70 per cent of the cost of building a new stadium.
“And in 25 years’ time, we’d be talking about building a new stadium because it wouldn’t be perfect.
“So then we looked at the option of a new stadium and, of course, you can design the perfect stadium then – you can build a very large stadium.”
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