Do Manchester United fans back the club’s decision to leave Old Trafford?

Manchester United recently announced their intention to build a £2bn, 100,000-seater ground near Old Trafford. Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ambition is to build “the world’s greatest football stadium” – and whilst some are enthusiastic, the plans have also come under fire from commentators and sporting journalists.  

New YouGov data can reveal that United supporters are broadly (but not universally) behind the plans. 

Some three in five (58%) support the decision to leave Old Trafford and move to a new ground nearby, while a third (36%) are in opposition. This changes a little depending on how often fans go to Old Trafford. Those who say they go fairly often are about as likely to endorse a move, but more likely to resist departing the Theatre of Dreams (41% stay; 58% leave). The three in ten United followers who have never been to Old Trafford (29%) are more likely to think the club should move to a new stadium (55% vs. 34%).  

The design for the stadium has been described by architect Norman Foster as a “vast umbrella” – although others have called it a “circus tent” or a “big top”. If it is, Red Devils fans are down to clown: when shown a photo, 55% appreciate the visual look of the new ground, while 28% dislike it. 

United’s top financial priorities should be buying and selling players and servicing the debt, say supporters

Fans like the idea of moving stadium and generally approve of the new ground’s design – but it’s not what they’d put at the top of the club’s financial agenda. 

We asked them to list their top three priorities for the club in this area. Half put “selling unwanted players” in this bracket, while two in five (39%) did the same for buying new players. A third would see the club service its debt (33%), and a quarter (27%) would invest in infrastructure, reduce the wage bill (26%), or work towards retaining key players (25%). A new ground is only a top-three priority for a fifth of United supporters (22%). 

What do match-going Manchester United fans like about Old Trafford, and what would they improve? 

Since United are planning to move ground, we thought we’d ask about the good and bad aspects of matchdays at Old Trafford. The positives include the atmosphere (86% vs. 3%), the merchandise options (57% vs. 7%), and fan displays such as tifos and flags (52% vs. 6%). 

Less than half of supporters say that they’ve had a good experience with the facilities (43% vs. 24%) and the food and drink (37% vs. 24%) at United’s current ground, although fans are still more positive than not. The negatives include the ease of getting tickets (30% good vs. 44% bad), general value for money inside Old Trafford (28% vs. 41%), and especially ticket prices (23% vs. 51%). 

With a new ground, can the club preserve the things fans like about the matchday experience – and improve the elements fans don’t think are working? 

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YouGov polled 1,000 Manchester United fans online on 12-13 March 2025. The survey was carried out through YouGov Surveys: Self-serve. Data is weighted by age, gender, education level, region, and social grade. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Self-serve.