Will Manchester United’s divisive new stadium be sustainable?

Posted on: 2 April, 2025

Manchester United’s new stadium marks an era of success off the pitch for the football club. But does it align with a net zero future?

Sports stadiums are some of the largest man-made structures on the planet, and through their ability to host thousands upon thousands of fans at events, they’ve historically had a negative impact on the environment.

Football is a particularly noteworthy example. Wembley Stadium, the home of the England National Football Team, has a capacity of 90,000, and the energy consumption events hosted there produce (not to mention the amount of waste generated, the carbon produced from its construction and the distances fans travel to attend games) can be extremely harmful to the environment.

With the added scrutiny now being placed on football clubs to reduce their carbon footprint and achieve net zero, Manchester United’s regeneration plans for its Old Trafford stadium have raised eyebrows and provoked mixed reactions. But from a built environment sustainability perspective, does it have potential?

The background – why United wants to redevelop Old Trafford

Old Trafford, the club’s current home, is the second largest football stadium in the United Kingdom, behind Wembley. They’ve occupied it since 1910, sharing it with local rivals Manchester City for 10 years as a result of the Second World War, and have expanded its capacity on multiple occasions. However, no redevelopment work has taken place since 2006, with the quality of the stadium coming under criticism.

United have long been exploring plans to expand the stadium, rebuild it, or even move to an entirely new home. With the success and acclaim fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed with the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London (an impressive example of a smart building), it’s perhaps not a surprise that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS – the largest single shareholders of the club in control of its decision-making – have chosen to pursue this project.

‘New Trafford’ – the new home of Manchester United

On 11 March 2025, United shared its plans for a new stadium, stating that it would act ‘as the centrepiece of the regeneration of the Old Trafford area’ in line with the Government’s growth agenda.

With its striking appearance, designed by Foster + Foster and consisting of three spires that will allegedly be visible from Liverpool, New Trafford will become the largest and most expensive arena in the country upon its completion.

The club’s website states that, according to research by Oxford Economics, the project has the potential to deliver £7.3 billion per year to the UK economy, ‘which brings large-scale social and economic benefits to the community and wider region’. It also estimates that 92,000 new jobs and 17,000 new homes could be created and that an additional 1.8 million visitors could be welcomed every year.

Indeed, much of the focus in the PR for the project has been on its potential as an urban regeneration initiative. As Lord Sebastian Coe, chair of the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, commented: “Today marks an important step forward in what I firmly believe can be the biggest and most exciting urban regeneration project in the UK since the 2012 London Olympics.”

Learn more: Urban regeneration, defined: here’s why it matters

What’s been the reaction to the plans?

While the majority of the reactions to the club’s plans have been positive, many responses are tempered with understandable doubts and concerns.

The Manchester United Supporters Trust stated:

“Whilst investment is much-needed and welcome, fans remain anxious about what it means and what the consequences will be.

“Will it drive up ticket prices and force out local fans? Will it harm the atmosphere, which is consistently fans’ top priority in the ground? Will it add to the debt burden which has held back the club for the last two decades? Will it lead to reduced investment in the playing side at a time when it is so badly needed?”

Outside of the club’s fanbase, Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson branded the project ‘pathetic’, arguing that the club should focus on improving its results on the pitch rather than its infrastructure, while architecture critic Rowan Moore highlighted the timing of the announcement, coming shortly after the club made hundreds of workers redundant to reduce costs.

Would the new stadium be sustainable?

Sustainability has been a key focus of the PR surrounding the new stadium plans. The stadium’s design allegedly incorporates rainwater harvesting, solar energy and energy efficiency. Perhaps inspired by the 15-minute city model, the stadium also promotes walkability and public transport.

The club’s website reads “The outward-looking stadium will be the beating heart of a new sustainable district, which is completely walkable, served by public transport, and endowed by nature. It is a mixed-use miniature city of the future – driving a new wave of growth and creating a global destination that Mancunians can be proud of.”

Learn more: A guide to 15-minute cities: why are they so controversial?

Aside from these claims, information about the stadium’s construction is understandably sparse at this time. However, its construction will surely involve significant amounts of concrete – a material with devastating consequences for the environment that we currently lack a viable alternative for on the scale of a stadium, despite the emergence of some promising options.

The emphasis on walkability is also an interesting one, as it presupposes that fans visiting the stadium for games would live locally or within the Manchester area, which simply isn’t the case for a club with an international following the size of Manchester United’s. However, the development of the stadium as a mixed-use ‘mini city’ could reduce the need to travel to other amenities.

What’s more, estimates that an extra 1.8 million visitors could be attracted to the stadium may offer significant economic benefits, but the associated travel, waste and energy consumption this would create leaves concerns around sustainability, even if the most viable commuting options to the grounds were green public transport options.

What does the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium show us about sustainability?

It’s worth pointing to Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium as a potential case study for how United’s new ground could be sustainable.

Tottenham have won the title of Premier League’s greenest club for multiple years. Their new stadium, completed in 2019, has achieved several green building certifications and achieved 100% certified renewable energy and zero scope 2 emissions, thanks to its use of solar panels and air source heat pumps.

The incorporation of smart building technology through LED lighting and insulation also helps the stadium adapt and reduce its environmental impact. It also has a zero waste to landfill policy and focuses on both local sourcing and sustainable food options.

Will Manchester United’s new stadium be a success?

As results on the pitch portray a club struggling with severe difficulties, the plans for a new stadium illustrate just how successful United remains in a commercial context. Despite finishing eighth in 2024, the club recorded record annual revenues of £661.755m during the same period.

Whether the club’s investment in the grounds can trigger an upturn in fortune on the pitch remains to be seen. However, there’s undeniably great economic potential in these plans, and with the example of Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium, there’s hope that the future of clubs like Manchester United and indeed football in general can be sustainable.