Neville shares views on Old Trafford's future (2024)

by

Joe Ganley

Neville is a member of the newly formed 'Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force', which has been created to explore options for regenerating the Old Trafford area of Greater Manchester.

The development of a world-class football stadium is among the principal aims of the project, but many fans are eager to know whether that will mean the building of a brand-new facility or the redevelopment of our existing home, known across the world as 'The Theatre of Dreams'.

Neville admitted he did not know which of those two outcomes is most likely, but spoke passionately to podcast hosts Helen Evans, Sam Homewood and David May about how the club's history and traditions should encourage us to innovate and embrace change.

Coming soon: The Gary Neville podcast Video

Here’s a date for your diary: the UTD Podcast with Gary Neville is out at 17:00 BST on Monday 3 June…

“There are three things I feel that Manchester United have to do, or at least two they have to do and one they should try and do,” began Neville.

“One is that we have to have the best stadium in the world. Two is that we have to have the best training ground in the world and three is that we have to win. The third one, actually, I’m a little patient on. I’m a Manchester United fan; things move in cycles. You can’t always win.

“But if number one and two are right, and if you have the right people in the club, you’ve got a great chance of number three happening.”

While many fans are understandably attached to Old Trafford, which is more than 114 years old, the Sky Sports pundit noted that the ground had always evolved during his time as a supporter and player.

“I’m not one of those that says that because I’ve watched football out there for 45 years that I need to watch the exact same players on that exact blade of grass. You know, if you think of the development, that is not the stadium that’s been there 110 years. You know, the Stretford End is not the Stretford End that I saw growing up. The stands all around the ground have been redeveloped in the last 30-40 years.

“I’m not one of those people that says we can’t develop behind while we still play here and then move into a new stadium. On the other hand, if the best solution is to refurbish the current stadium and do what Real Madrid and Barcelona have done, which is essentially wrap their stadium and sort of, if you like, fit it from the inside out, then if that is the best solution then I’m not against it.”

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Saying farewell to Old Trafford in its current guise would be a wrench for many supporters – something akin to what Gary experienced as player, when the first team left The Cliff training ground in 2000. But Nev believes the restless creativity of Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson is the template we must follow.

“We’ve always been proud of the stories of Sir Matt Busby redeveloping the stadium, having come back from America and seeing hospitality boxes in the 50s and 60s and around that time, and how the manager when we were here, Sir Alex Ferguson, moved the training ground from The Cliff to Carrington.

“It was difficult for us, wasn’t it? Because we didn’t want to leave The Cliff; we loved The Cliff. It was in our hearts. But we needed this world-class, modern facility that Sport Science could move forward in, with all the sort of advancements in technology and medical.”

Gary stops by to talk stadium plans, 1999, his punditry and more in an interview you can watch from Monday onwards.

Speaking about his own role in the task force, Neville said that it was the only way he felt he could genuinely help his former club.

In addition to his work as a football commentator and analyst, the 49-year-old has also been heavily involved in developing properties since he retired as a professional in 2011.

“I think it’s the one thing that actually I can contribute to,” he smiled. “I don’t think that there is a role for me at the club in any other department. I think that I’m happy there is action on the other side of the club. I think that’s really important.

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“There’s been inaction I feel for 10 years, and I think now that we’ve got a sort of interference within the ownership that there is at least action. There has been sweeping changes made in the last few months and now we have to be patient and see what happens in this next two or three years.

“What I am absolutely certain of is that we need to have a stadium that is up there with some of the other great stadiums in Europe and in this country at this moment in time, Tottenham is the benchmark. It’s a stunning stadium, brand new, and we need to get to that level.

“United is a club that has to be inspired and motivated by its history, but be a modern club that moves forward and that means from a people perspective, and it means from a place perspective.”

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