Manchester United rejected the opportunity to move into a new stadium for free ahead of the 2002 Commonwealth Games, it has been revealed.
On March 11, 2025, Manchester United announced plans to build a 100,000-seater stadium to replace Old Trafford, which is expected to cost £2bn. With Old Trafford worn down and in need of renovation, the last of which took place in 2006, Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe highlighted the club’s intention to move away from the historic ground and build something completely from scratch.
But the club could have foregone such an expensive decision if they had just agreed to move into a new stadium after the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
Manchester United rejected chance to get new stadium for free
With the city awarded the Games in 1995, organsiers approached Manchester United to move into a new stadium once the event had concluded. Organisers wanted to build an 80,000-seater stadium, but Manchester United were seen as the only side in the area capable of bringing in numbers that could match the capacity once the Games were over. The Red Devils refused, however.
Writing in Manchester Confidential, former Manchester Blackley MP Graham Stringer stated: “On a personal note, I find deep irony in the current situation. It could have been avoided if United had accepted an offer from Manchester City Council when we were planning the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
“We were determined that the Games’ stadium would not become a white elephant. Our plan was to be able to convert the Games’ venue into an 80,000+ replacement or competitor for Wembley. United were the only club with sufficient support to make this viable. I had meetings with Roland Smith, who then chaired United’s board. He rejected the offer.
“There were then meetings with Manchester City, who bit our hand off. Given City’s smaller fan base, the size of the ground had to be reduced but City’s new home in a state-of-the-art stadium made them attractive to first Thaksin Shinawatra and then to the Abu Dhabi United Group, effectively the Abu Dhabi state. This and the subsequent investment in the team has led to City’s recent spectacular success and then improvements in the ground. Irony or what?!”
Indeed, Manchester City were allowed to move into the City of Manchester Stadium, now known as the Etihad Stadium, for the start of the 2003/04 season. It cost approximately £110m – all government funded – with the stadium initially holding 48,000.
Manchester United’s Old Trafford did play host to the 2003 Champions League final, and became the largest stadium in England prior to Wembley re-opening in 2007.
Since then, though, the ground has been deteriorating with a leaky roof and lack of facilities in comparison to new stadia such as the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
