REDS' FREIGHT TRAIN BLUES?

United's plans for a new 100,000-seater stadium could be derailed by logistical hurdle.

- Neal Keeling

The club aims to use land next to its ageing Old Trafford home. The site is currently used as a rail freight terminal and the operator, Freightliner, has indicated it would be willing to relocate to Parkside East in St Helens.

The whole project would be a massive move for both parties.

Club co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe's ambitious plans are to build a 'Wembley of the north'. An image has been released by the club to illustrate how the stadium would look amid a " 4.2billion regeneration of the surrounding area. It is estimated it could bring 48,000 jobs and 5,000 new homes.

The Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, chaired by Lord Sebastian Coe, has concluded that a simple redevelopment of Old Trafford would increase its capacity to 87,000, while a new stadium would hold 100,000 fans, far exceeding the 90,000 capacity of Wembley and making it the biggest in the UK.

The redevelopment of Old Trafford has been held back by the unavailability of land to the west of the stadium, but that would be solved if the terminal was moved.

As part of feasibility work, more than 50,000 United fans were surveyed, focus groups were established and open days held at Old Trafford. Some 52% reported they preferred a new stadium, while 31% said redevelopment was best. 17% were unsure.