Manchester United's £2bn Old Trafford demolition plan takes intriguing new twist

Manchester United plan to keep Old Trafford as a reduced capacity stadium amid plans for a new-build stadium.

Although new United co-chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe has tasked staff with formulating plans for a new stadium, United want to preserve the history of the existing Old Trafford site rather than demolishing it.

Old Trafford could be scaled down to a 30,000-all-seater stadium. It currently holds 75,000 and United Women's final game of last season against Chelsea attracted a crowd of 28,737.

United are conscious thousands of matchgoers would be opposed to knocking down the 114-year-old stadium and the club intend to preserve it.

Club sources have cited the Munich clock, the Sir Matt Busby statue, the Munich tunnel and the original tunnel on the halfway line. The wall inside that tunnel is the only surviving remnant from when the ground was originally built in 1910.

READ MORE: United aiming to submit plans for new-build stadium by end of the year

READ MORE: What Ratcliffe said about rebuilding Old Trafford

The Busby statue was erected in 1994, the same year the former United manager died. Scarves that were laid out in tribute to Busby were buried within the bronze capsule.

The 'Holy Trinity' statue of Sir Bobby Charlton, George Best and Denis Law was unveiled in 2008. Busby's former assistant Jimmy Murphy was also immortalised in bronze last year.

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United's reserve team has predominantly played at