Manchester United journalist Andy Mitten is reporting that the club are exploring plans to increase the capacity of Old Trafford to 80,000.
This weekend, the club will officially name the Main Stand after Bobby Charlton, giving Louis Van Gaal another legendary name under which to operate in a shadow.
The club will then explore plans to add 7,500 seats to the stand, which will take the overall capacity to 80,000. The move will make the Charlton stand similar in height to the Alex Ferguson stand opposite it, although it will retain two tiers, as opposed to three. There will be the further option of extending two quadrants at each end of the ground, which could swell the overall capacity to 88,000.
As United continue to make strides off the pitch, the fare on it continues to underwhelm. A win against Manchester City has given United an unlikely shot at a Champions League place, but that result has failed to erase the stultifying experience of Old Trafford football from the collective memories of United fans. For instance, fans at the supposed Theatre of Dreams went more than three months without seeing a first-half goal earlier this season.
So dreary has the football been this season, we feel Louis Van Gaal may not be around to endure the disillusioned sighs of the extra 7,500 fans.
