In the match between Man Utd and Arsenal last night (May 12), there was heavy rain at Old Trafford. It seems that the drainage system in the Stretford End stands was overloaded, leading to rainwater overflowing through the roof and falling into the stands at the end of the match.

A large amount of water fell from the stadium roof like a waterfall. In the stands, the water flowed straight down onto the field, causing Man Utd fans to sit on the edge of their seats to avoid the water.

In fact, the leaky roof of Old Trafford is not a new problem, it appeared 10 years ago. However, videos of floodwaters pouring into the stands during the recent match once again emphasized how dilapidated this once proud stadium had become.

Jason McKay, a season ticket fan from Salford, filmed a video of rainwater pouring into the Stretford End. He blamed the Glazer family, the majority owner of the club, for lack of interest in repairing and maintaining the team’s facilities.

“The decline is evident once again. For 18 years the stadium has been completely neglected, the owners should be ashamed of all the money they have siphoned from our club. All We all know they don’t care,” Mr. McKay said.

It is a problem that the club’s new minority owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has himself acknowledged, setting out ambitious plans to repair or completely rebuild Old Trafford.

In April 2022, Man Utd hired Populous Stadium master planning unit, the architects behind Tottenham’s new stadium, to come up with a proposal to expand Old Trafford. It seems that billionaire Ratcliffe wants to accelerate this plan since officially buying back a minority stake from the Glazer family.

Manchester Evening News reported last February that Man Utd could build a new stadium, which would help the team not have to relocate during construction. However, some fans of the “Red Devils” prefer to renovate the stadium rather than have a new football field.

Some have suggested that Man Utd’s new stadium could be built on the land behind the Stretford End, while Old Trafford is still in use, and that would bring a higher return on investment for the owners.

Previously, Man Utd established a special team in charge of renovating Old Trafford and the surrounding land, headed by Lord Sebastian Coe. Former Man Utd captain Gary Neville was also appointed to the council, along with Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Trafford Council Chief Executive Sara Todd.

This council was established to study whether building a new stadium or renovating Old Trafford would be the most feasible option.

Man Utd refused to comment on the Old Trafford leak. However, team officials said that the excessive amount of rain that fell on Old Trafford in a short period of time was the cause of the stadium’s problem. The fans all left safely while Old Trafford staff had to work overtime to clean up rainwater.