The decrepit state of Old Trafford was laid bare as Manchester United sprang a leak on and off the pitch.
As United sank to a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, who kept up their title challenge on reigning champions Manchester City, a fierce thunderstorm swamped the 114-year-old stadium.
Water could be seen cascading from one corner of the ground while videos on social media showed a flood pouring under seats and even where the players’ tunnel meets the dressing rooms.
United said that 1.6 inches of rain fell in two hours after the final whistle – more than in the entire month of May last year – but supporters of both clubs left the stadium safely.
The deluge coincided with a visit from Labour Party leader and Arsenal season-ticket fan Sir Keir Starmer as a guest of Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, who met with Lord Coe and United’s minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe beforehand to discuss the future of Old Trafford.
Coe is head of the task force driving plans to regenerate the stadium and surrounding areas.
United is backing Ratcliffe’s vision to bulldoze Old Trafford and build a ‘Wembley of the North’ at a cost of up to £ 2 billion but will consider renovating the existing stadium if it is not feasible.
Ratcliffe pledged £237million to upgrade Old Trafford as part of his £1.3bn investment in United, but Sunday's flood was a reminder that plenty more will be needed to plug the gaps.
While rival fans delight in singing that ‘Old Trafford is falling’, United supporters point to the wretched state of the stadium as a symbol of neglect by the Glazer family during 19 years in power.
'Embarrassing, sums up the neglect the Glazers have shown towards the upkeep and maintenance of Old Trafford and Carrington,' one fan wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Another wrote: 'United fans deserve better!! Fix the fu..n roof!!!' A third said: 'Clubs rotten in every single aspect.'
'They still haven’t fixed the roof?? sorry to the people sat right under the hole in the ceiling,' said another.
Co-chairman Avram Glazer was 200 miles away from Old Trafford in the Royal Box at Wembley as United’s women’s team beat Tottenham to lift the FA Cup.
Ratcliffe sent a good luck message to coach Marc Skinner and the players in the morning and posted his congratulations on social media.
As United sank to a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, who kept up their title challenge on reigning champions Manchester City, a fierce thunderstorm swamped the 114-year-old stadium.
Water could be seen cascading from one corner of the ground while videos on social media showed a flood pouring under seats and even where the players’ tunnel meets the dressing rooms.
United said that 1.6 inches of rain fell in two hours after the final whistle – more than in the entire month of May last year – but supporters of both clubs left the stadium safely.
The deluge coincided with a visit from Labour Party leader and Arsenal season-ticket fan Sir Keir Starmer as a guest of Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, who met with Lord Coe and United’s minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe beforehand to discuss the future of Old Trafford.
Coe is head of the task force driving plans to regenerate the stadium and surrounding areas.
United is backing Ratcliffe’s vision to bulldoze Old Trafford and build a ‘Wembley of the North’ at a cost of up to £ 2 billion but will consider renovating the existing stadium if it is not feasible.
Ratcliffe pledged £237million to upgrade Old Trafford as part of his £1.3bn investment in United, but Sunday's flood was a reminder that plenty more will be needed to plug the gaps.
While rival fans delight in singing that ‘Old Trafford is falling’, United supporters point to the wretched state of the stadium as a symbol of neglect by the Glazer family during 19 years in power.
'Embarrassing, sums up the neglect the Glazers have shown towards the upkeep and maintenance of Old Trafford and Carrington,' one fan wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Another wrote: 'United fans deserve better!! Fix the fu..n roof!!!' A third said: 'Clubs rotten in every single aspect.'
'They still haven’t fixed the roof?? sorry to the people sat right under the hole in the ceiling,' said another.
Co-chairman Avram Glazer was 200 miles away from Old Trafford in the Royal Box at Wembley as United’s women’s team beat Tottenham to lift the FA Cup.
Ratcliffe sent a good luck message to coach Marc Skinner and the players in the morning and posted his congratulations on social media.
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