When something is ignored, or given the bare necessary attention for nearly two decades, it is understandable that consistent work needs to be done to get it up to speed eventually.
That seems to be happening with Old Trafford after Sir Jim Ratcliffe took part ownership of the club.
After setting up an Old Trafford regeneration council, and making plans to expand, or construct a new stadium altogether, works have begun apace to bring the current establishment into the 21st century.
First, it was the announcement that work on redesigning the iconic player tunnel at the stadium is set to begin and it has now been followed by work on another iconic part of the stadium.
Latest Old Trafford project shows fans are being heard now
The club have officially announced that work to refurbish the iconic Stretford End has begun at Old Trafford which is expected to be complete before the start of the new season.
Under this project, fan recommendation has been heard and consequently, executive area seating will be replaced by more general admission seats.
Additional youth season tickets, installation of rail seating, and a dedicated atmosphere section in Stretford End are all attempts to make the matchday experience more vociferous.
This project was announced in January 2023, before Ineos had arrived at the club, and was part of the club’s renewed attempt to engage with fan representation groups.
Rick McGagh, director of fan engagement at United said: “We are delighted that from August the Stretford End – one of the most famous and iconic stands in world football – will once again be accessible to all fans.
“It is the heartbeat of our ground and has been the backdrop to many last-minute winners and incredible moments over the years.”
A long overdue change
This change is long overdue and an extremely welcome one too. Stretford End has regularly been held up as the standard bearer when it comes to creating a passionate atmosphere at Old Trafford.
Adding an executive seating area there, while good for commercial purposes, defeats the purpose of a dedicated atmospheric end of the stadium.
Now that they are removed and the end will again be opened for general admission, loud and passionate fans can call it their home again on matchday.
Increased emphasis on creating an unforgettable atmosphere is also a marginal gain Sir Dave Brailsford regularly talks about.
Players feed off the energy of the crowd, the biggest example being the FA Cup final against Manchester City where they painted Wembley red as they celebrated a famous victory.
The iconic “Champions League anthem under the Old Trafford lights” might be absent next season, but the atmosphere surrounding the game should see a marked improvement.
