United welcome more disabled fans
Supporters now call for more capacity and a "safe standing" trial
Manchester United are moving 2,600 fans in order to create 300 new positions for disabled supporters at Old Trafford.
Following consultation with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and Manchester United Disabled Supporters' Association (MUDSA), the club on Tuesday announced changes in line with the Accessible Stadia guide.
The structural alterations will be complete in August 2017 and affect 2,600 season ticket holders, with the relocation of those affected phased over three years.
United have devised a goodwill package for those supporters being moved, while the changes will eventually see the overall capacity of Old Trafford reduced to around 73,300.
United's group managing director Richard Arnold said: Old Trafford is a home for all
United fans and these changes will help many more of our loyal disabled
supporters to attend games to watch their heroes.
Manchester United prides itself on its work in this area for more than 25 years, and will
continue to ensure that it remains at the forefront of our thinking.''
Arnold added: We know that many of the affected season ticket holders have held
their seats for decades and it will be a sacrifice to give them up.
But we also know that the vast majority will understand and support this expansion.''
The new positions for disabled supporters will see the current East Stand accessible platform extended across and into the Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobby Charlton Stands.
As the changes are being phased in, the design will incorporate reversible platforms to be used for Premier League and some cup matches.
Chas Banks, secretary of the MUDSA, said: I'm filled with pride that the club I've
supported since first coming to Old Trafford as a little boy in 1957 is leading
the way in increasing accessible seating to meet the standards set out in the
Accessible Stadia guide.
It's a dream come true for me and many other disabled United fans.''
The developments to Old Trafford have been welcomed by Penny Mordaunt, Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work.
Bravo @ManUtd for new plans to make Old Trafford accessible to 300 more disabled
fans- sport is for everyone,'' she posted on Twitter.
In response to the announcement today regarding the expansion of the disabled facilities at Old Trafford and the subsequent impact on fans in existing seats and also the reduction in overall capacity of the stadium, M.U.S.T issued the following statement:
While we welcome the expansion of disabled facilities to comply with the Accessible Stadia guide / Premier League ‘pledge’ we note with concern the impact that this will have on supporters in existing seats who will be required to relocate to make way for the expanded disabled section.
We have already expressed our view to the Club that no supporter who is compulsorily relocated should suffer any financial loss as a result and we urge the Club to extend the one year price freeze they have proposed.
We believe it is reasonable to offer a price match guarantee to all relocated fans until such point that they have been offered seating at the equivalent price point to that which applied prior to their relocation.
We will also be making a strenuous argument for general expansion of stadium capacity.
We believe Manchester United should adopt an ambitious approach which not only reclaims the capacity lost during this process but ultimately takes Old Trafford's capacity to the largest in Europe.
Manchester United and our fans deserve no less.
Furthermore we hope this redevelopment will provide a perfect opportunity to conduct a trial of Rail Seating ("safe standing") and this is something we'll be raising with the club as well.
Having said the above we do appreciate the efforts the Club has gone to in other respects, to find the best short term solution to a very difficult problem which effectively left them 'between a rock and a hard place'.
The phased approach over three years does make sense, as do the reversible facilities, both short term and long term. We also note the extensive exploration of alternative solutions which the Club undertook and the resources they are putting into dealing with what will be a huge upheaval for some supporters.