Mancunians enthused by plans for UK's biggest stadium

Even on a freezing, rainy day with no match scheduled, the area around Old Trafford in Manchester was abuzz with football fans from far and wide.

- Rachel Keenan

Just a day after Manchester United revealed their plans for a new 100,000-capacity stadium, there was a sense of excitement at the proposals: the plans promise 92,000 jobs and a large-scale “regeneration” of the area, including 17,000 new homes.

"I struggle to find negative things to think about it," said a 35-year-old architect and local resident, Curtis Martyn. He and his neighbour Sandra Aguilera, 46, who works at Manchester city council, live close to the stadium on Railway Road. They are both enthusiastic about the regeneration plans for the area.

"I'm excited about the new quarter; I love the idea of investing in the north - I think that's important, I love the idea of connection," said Martyn.

Aguilera agreed. Looking at the stadium from her garden, she thinks it is an eyesore. "It's not nice at the moment, it looks like a factory from the 80s," she said. Plus, she added, the ventilation system is old, and fills the street with a constant hum.

100k Capacity of proposed stadium, the biggest in the UK 92k Number of new jobs promised in regeneration £2bn Cost of project ($2.6bn), due to take five years