Shocking footage shows storm water gushing through the roof of ailing Old Trafford

Manchester United fans today described their exasperation at the state of Old Trafford after the final whistle in the defeat to Arsenal - with videos showing storm water gushing through the roof and pouring down the terraces.

In the Stretford End, some fans perched on seating rails to avoid their feet getting wet during the deluge which started towards the end of the Premier League fixture at the Theatre of Dreams.

In fact, the roof of Old Trafford has been leaking for ten years, but videos of the floodwaters gushing down the stands emphasised once more just how dilapidated this once proud stadium has become.

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Life-long Red Jason McKay, a 54-year-old season ticket holder from Salford, sent the Manchester Evening News video of rainwater pouring down the Stretford End, with fans doing their best to stay dry.

He blamed the Glazer family, majority owners of the club, and said: "The decay is once again evident… 18 years of total neglect, the owners should be be ashamed with all the money they have syphoned out of our club. But we all know they do not care."

It's a problem the club's new minority owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has acknowledged himself, whilst trumpeting ambitious plans to either redevelop or completely rebuild Old Trafford.

In April 2022 United hired stadium masterplanners Populous, the architects behind Tottenham's new ground, to present proposals for an expanded Old Trafford and Ratcliffe has accelerated exploration plans since officially acquiring a minority stake from the Glazer family.

The MEN reported in February United could rebuild Old Trafford without temporarily relocating and have been advised that's the best option, but some fans prefer a revamp.

It is thought a new United stadium could be built, on the land behind the Stretford End, while Old Trafford is still in use and that would bring a higher return on investment.

It has previously been announced that a task force to regenerate Old Trafford and the land around it had been created, and that it would be chaired by Lord Sebastian Coe. Former United captain Gary Neville was appointed to the panel, along with Manchester Mayor Burnham and Sara Todd, chief executive of Trafford Council, and the panel was created to explore all options but to closely examine the feasibility of a new building and wider regeneration.

Manchester United declined to comment following the latest problems, but officials point out parts of the stadium struggled to cope as one inch of rain fell in just one hour and 1.6 inches in two hours after the final whistle. All supporters are said to have left safely as a mopping operation continues inside the sodden stadium tonight.