Manchester United have failed to repair a hole in the roof at Old Trafford, despite being aware that it is prone to sporadic leaks, as happened at the end of Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Arsenal.
While United are understood to accept there were defects in the stadium’s covering which allowed rain to seep in on Sunday and previous occasions, the club denied the large cascade of water pouring out of the south-west corner of the Stretford End was due of a leak in the roof. Instead, it was due to the massive amount of rainfall that fell, which entered a siphon roof drainage system and caused it to overflow.
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A total of 41mm of rain fell in the two hours after the final whistle at around 18:20, 25mm of which fell in the first half hour. This is 29 mm more than the entire corresponding month last year and close to the national average rainfall for May.
It is believed that although United have explored the feasibility of replacing the roof and it remains an option, it would cost many millions of pounds with significant operational considerations. Each decision is intrinsically linked to the possibilities of redeveloping the stadium, a process that began more than two years ago and gained momentum with the formation in March of the working group looking at all regeneration options.
In 2019, water poured out of the Stretford End, leaving fans drenched before United’s 2-0 defeat by Manchester City. In the 1-0 loss against Crystal Palace last September, the same problem occurred.
