Experts Reveal The Biggest Problems Facing Premier League Football Stadiums

When a mid‑match downpour in May 2024 caused leaking from the roof at Old Trafford, it highlighted the aging infrastructure of the legendary home of Manchester United and sparked a conversation about the state of Premier League stadiums – many of which are decades old.

Here, Travis Perkins looks at some of the issues that are commonly associated with Premier League stadiums, examining their age and any renovation history.

How Old Is Too Old?

Whether new football stadia lack character and rip the atmosphere out of the game is a topic that is continuously discussed across all levels of professional football in England.

Despite an affiliation with older stadiums, the question being asked is how old is too old?

Premier League football stadiums showcase a fascinating mix of history and modernity, reflecting the evolution of the game in England.

Among the oldest are Stamford Bridge (Chelsea, 1877), Anfield (Liverpool, 1884), and St James’ Park (Newcastle United, 1880), representing Victorian‑era constructions that remain at the heart of their clubs.

In contrast, the modern era has seen a wave of new, state‑of‑the‑art facilities that reflect the changing face of football. Brentford Community Stadium (Brentford, 2020), and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (2019), showcase cutting‑edge designs focused on enhancing fan experience and supporting the clubs’ ambitions on and off the pitch.

Common Problems Of The Premier League’s Ageing Stadiums

There are several key factors in play when a Premier League club is weighing up the pros vs the cons for stadium redevelopment – but what are the considerations that the decision‑makers in England’s first division are currently reviewing?

Structural Deterioration

Wear and tear on structural elements not only leaves a damning effect on the overall aesthetic of the stadium, but it can also pose major safety risks.

Maintenance costs for ageing facilities tend to be significant, as clubs look to retrofit their stadia to be more in line with modern standards.

Manchester United’s 1‑0 loss to Arsenal in May 2024 highlighted just some of the more common issues that stem from ageing stadiums – and no, it wasn’t the opposition fanbase chanting ‘my garden shed is bigger than this’, although the flat roofing aspect of a garden shed may have helped United in this instance...

As the fixture neared its conclusion there was a heavy rainstorm. Water was seen pouring from the roof corner between the Sir Alex Ferguson stand and the East stand, drenching the seating below.

Videos shared on social media captured streams of water flowing down the steps of the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand, creating a small flood around the pitch’s protective moat.

One thing that is for certain, United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been left with quite a significant headache, and an even bigger decision to make, as to whether the club remain at historic Old Trafford, or move to a new development, which is said to be the current front runner of the two choices.

And given the size of Old Trafford, a new fixed roof would be a multimillion‑pound cost with sizeable operational considerations. A retractable roof, which adds complexity and technology, could exceed £200 million.

Limited Capacity

The Premier League is the most popular football division on the planet, and with that comes the desire for people all over the world to try to grab tickets to watch their favourite club. This is where older stadiums often fall short of meeting these demands, as they tend to come with insufficient seating and amenities to meet modern day expectations.

Liverpool's phased expansions at Anfield, including the recent Anfield Road Stand project, were carefully designed to minimise disruptions while improving stadium capacity and maintaining that unique atmosphere that the stadium has become world‑renowned for. Even whilst construction was ongoing, Liverpool was able to host over 50 football matches and a host of converts too, without the need to reduce seating capacity at all. The club achieved this by working around the Anfield schedule, which included completing a large chunk of the work during pre‑season and utilising efficient construction techniques such as modular assembly and crane technology.

However, even their historic stadium showed signs of struggling under adverse weather conditions in their recent pulsating tie against old adversaries Manchester United as footage circulated on social media showed water pouring in from the top of both the Main Stand and the Anfield Road Stand.

Heavy snowfall had affected the region the evening before, which saw the UK Met Office issue an amber weather warning. Such was the ferocity of the conditions that concerns over fan safety meant that two meetings of the city's Safety Advisory Group were held on Sunday morning to determine whether the game should go ahead. In the event, the match proceeded as planned. Anfield has experienced torrential rainfall before and not suffered leaks so an investigation is aiming to discover why it was a problem on this occasion.

Accessibility Issues

Aging Premier League stadiums face an abundance of accessibility challenges, including insufficient spaces for wheelchair users, limited accessible seating, and the general all‑round inadequate facilities for a club's disabled fanbase.

A study conducted last year by the Football Supporters Association found that the top disability‑related barrier fans face when attending live sport is physical access at stadiums.

Safety Concerns

The older stadiums that still stand in the Premier League also tend to struggle to comply with modern fire safety and crowd management regulations.

Some of the key issues and reasoning behind the compliance failures are narrow exits, outdated fire suppression systems, and insufficient evacuation routes. Each of these raises the risk of an incident occurring and will require costly retrofitting to get in line with modern safety standards.

Fixing The Stadium Issues – What Needs To Be Done?

Routine inspections and minor upgrades where necessary will ensure stadiums remain functional, safe and in‑line with modern advances.

These need to be completed with cost‑effectiveness and the club’s fanbase at the forefront of any decisions, so that there is as little disruption to their experience as possible.

As previously mentioned, Liverpool’s phased expansions are a perfect example of a club making reasonable adjustments whilst causing minimal disruption to the standard match‑day experience at Anfield. In contrast, Tottenham’s decision to build a new stadium on the existing plot of land, albeit embracing cutting‑edge design and technology, meant the club were temporarily dislodged from their home, causing an array of logistical headaches.

Sustainability has increasingly become a major consideration for clubs when aiming to modernise their home. Integrating green technologies minimises the club’s environmental footprint and can also help operational costs.

Scheduled to open in the 2024/25 season, Everton’s new 52,000‑seat Bramley‑Moore Dock Stadium will replace the historic Goodison Park. It features innovative construction practices, including digital planning tools, and focuses on efficient energy use and sustainability during construction.

But modern stadiums must balance tradition, functionality and sustainability to meet the growing demands of the fans and the environmental expectations of a league with such a huge influence on the public’s thoughts and emotions.