Sports Venues - Old Trafford

Old Trafford

Old Trafford at Night

Nicknamed the Theatre of Dreams, Old Trafford is one amazing soccer stadium. We take a look at the home of Manchester United!

Old Trafford - History

Old Trafford is exactly what the name suggests - old. Built in 1910, this amazing soccer stadium is located in Trafford, which is a borough in Manchester, England. Back then, the stadium held 70,000 people. The venue suffered a big hit (literally) when it was bombed in 1941 during World War II. Old Trafford eventually re-opened in 1949. Over the years, the stadium has gone through many renovations. In 1990, Old Trafford went from bleacher style seating to single seats. This dropped the total capacity of the stadium to about 44,000. With massive and expensive expansions over the past 17 years, the capacity has ballooned back to 76,000 fans. Despite being open for nearly a century, Old Trafford is now one of the most modern and stunning sports venues in the world. It is the only stadium in England that has the prestigeous UEFA five-star rating - the ranking system for soccer venues around the world.

Old Trafford - Features

The Museum - Opening in 1998, the Museum displays tons of franchise memorabilia from the past 97 years. Included in the three-level museum are trophies such as the European Cup. The Museum attracts more than 200,000 visitors a year.
The Red Tunnel - Ever since 1993, Manchester United players have been storming out of the red tunnel prior to the game.
The Exterior - Old Trafford is the perfect combination of a historic yet modern building. The exterior boasts a glass wall with a neon Manchester United logo across the middle. One of the more creative features of the stadium is the large soccer ball that is stuck in the glass. The ball looks as if someone kicked a ball halfway through the panes. There is also a statue of legendary former manager, Sir Alexander Matthew Busby in the front.

Old Trafford – Fun Facts

Old Trafford has a heater under the grass to melt any snow that may fall on the field during the game.
Old Trafford was nicknamed the "Theatre of Dreams" by former United star, Sir Bobby Charlton.
Old Trafford's total attendance in the 2005/06 season was 1,705,696 fans.