Manchester United set to substantially increase Old Trafford’s capacity

Manchester United look set to increase their stadium capacity.

Old Trafford is already the biggest club stadium in England, regularly selling out for fixtures and averaging 75,530 per game, the second highest average attendance at football games in Europe behind Borussia Dortmund, but ahead of both Barcelona and Real Madrid. However, new regulations require the club to increase capacity in their disabled section, which in turn will reduce the stadium's overall capacity by 3,000 from 75,635 to 72,365. Work is set to begin next summer. According to football journalist Andy Mitten, the reduction in stadium capacity has prompted United's owners the Glazer family to look at options to add another tier to the main stand - the smallest, and only single tier stand in the stadium, which is set to be renamed in honour of club legend Bobby Charlton on Sunday when United host Everton."An extra tier of around 7,500 seats above the Sir Bobby Charlton stand is being considered," Mitten writes. "It would be of a similar size to the second tier in the Sir Alex Ferguson stand opposite, although the main stand would not have a third level." "The capacity will then be around 80,000, with a further option to build two more quadrants which, if they replicate existing ones on the other side of the ground, would boost the capacity by 4,000 each, swelling Old Trafford to an 88,000 capacity -- the second biggest in Europe after Camp Nou. Any increase would also allow for more executive facilities, which bring in so much more income than normal seats."