The atmosphere at Old Trafford for football matches has been given a boost as Manchester United begin work on expanding the option of safe standing for their loyal supporters.
Manchester United first introduced safe standing at Old Trafford in January 2022, for a trial period, beginning with 1,500 rail seats in the north east quadrant and 2,500 in the away end.
Following a successful trial of rail seating at the Theatre of Dreams, a further 2,100 rail seats were added ahead of the 2023/24 season, in the south-west quadrant of the stadium. That brought the total number of rail seats at Old Trafford to more than 6,000.
United required a successful trial before being granted a licence by the Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA).
Over two years on from the addition of 2,100 rail seats, United are working on a bigger expansion than seen before.
Man Utd adding 6,000 safe standing seats in the Stretford End
Fan groups like The Red Army have done a lot for United fans and the atmosphere at Old Trafford in recent years, as seen with flags before games.
United are now working on an expansion of 6,000 rail seats that will be installed in Tier 2 of the Stretford End.
The project will see United offer over 12,000 rail seats at Old Trafford, as revealed in the club announcement on Tuesday evening.
United are expecting the installation to be finished by the end of October, although they will need further approval from the SGSA.
The latest development shows that Ineos care about the atmosphere more than what some will give them credit for. Others will argue that they wouldn’t be increasing the costs of going to matches if they really cared about the club’s most loyal fans.
Safe standing has been a success at Old Trafford
As a season ticket holder in W210, I couldn’t talk more highly of the safe standing section at Old Trafford.
The atmosphere around me during the game on Saturday was brilliant as United beat Chelsea 2-1 in the Premier League.
However, the safe standing in the away end didn’t make any difference, as the Blues were kept quiet for most of the match.
The Stretford End rallied behind Amorim and his team, with special chants sung for Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes and, of course, John Terry.
An expansion of rail seating at Old Trafford can only be a good thing, although it’s not for everyone, as standing/bouncing in the same spot for 90 minutes is likely to cause strain on the body. Especially when very few of us have the same physique as professional footballers.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/GI54kdv