ABSTRACT
Consider two images of Manchester United’s ground, Old Trafford, the first
taken in 1984 (Figure 1.1) and the second in 2006 (Figure 1.2).
A radical transformation has manifestly taken place. With the exception of
the South Stand (furthest away in Figure 1.1 and on the left in Figure 1.2),1 the
ground has been entirely rebuilt. A low, dull structure has been replaced by a
bold edifice of bright steel and glass. Old Trafford’s renaissance may be striking
but it is far from unique. On the contrary, since the 1990s, new stadia have pro-
liferated across Europe. One of the first examples of this renovation was the San
Siro Stadium in Milan reconstructed in 1990 for the World Cup. Visitors, at the
time, were awed by the monumental new ground with its concrete bastions and
latticed roofing.
