LOU’S OLD TRAFFORD DILEMMA
STOPPING off at Lou Macari’s Fish and Chips shop has long become a pre-match tradition for many Manchester United fans as they head down Sir Matt Busby Way to Old Trafford.
But if Sir Jim Ratcliffe, United’s billionaire investor, has his way, the famous ground will soon have had its chips.
Ratcliffe’s dream is a new 90,000-capacity stadium to be built adjacent to the existing ground as part of a huge redevelopment of the area.
It has left Macari, better known for his 401 United appearances in the Seventies and early Eighties than for serving fish suppers, in a dilemma.
“I’ve been doing some stadium tours lately and that quickly reminds you of the fantastic history of the place,” Macari (below) said.
“I’ll be at Old Trafford for the Liverpool FA Cup game and again you are just glad to be there because it gives you goosebumps.
“I scored my first goal for the club at the Stretford End and, of course, for all the old players the ground holds special memories. But when it comes to the crunch they won’t be taken into consideration because at times to make progress you can’t always wallow in nostalgia. “Look at Tottenham Hotspur’s magnificent new stadium. If we end up with something like that then you have to accept that the current Old Trafford might have to go.
“It’s a difficult one for ex-players and supporters alike because Old Trafford is the only thing they have known and it’s where their memories of great games of the past are stored.
“But, on the other hand, with a bigger ground more fans would be able to watch the team and hopefully in years to come more memories would be created.
“In an ideal world most ex-players would love it if Old Trafford could be expanded but, if that’s not possible, then a new ground – and after all it would be in the same area – would be the answer.”
Sammy Mcilroy, the last of the Busby babes, would prefer to redevelop the existing ground.
He said: “It would be a shame if we had to move. It would take years and years for a new ground to create new history.”