WITH Manchester United’s new owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, aiming to demolish Old Trafford and build a new £3 billion facility in its place, the Super League Grand Final appears up for grabs for rival stadiums.
Of course, if Old Trafford is demolished, the Grand Final will need to be moved away whilst the new facility is being built.
From that, other suggestions have been put forward, but which four perhaps seem most suitable?
New Everton Stadium, Liverpool
The handing over from Old Trafford to a potential new venue in Liverpool – with the construction of Everton’s new stadium at the Bramley-Moore dock – could make perfect sense. Like the Grand Final itself, the venue of the showpiece event needs a spruce up – and what better way to do that than hosting it a brand new venue which opens during the 2024-2025 football season. Of course, the Magic Weekend was taken to Liverpool’s Anfield which flopped considerably, but the attraction of a waterfront and a plethora of bars and restaurants in surrounding areas could make this an unbridled success. A 52,888 capacity would pretty much secure a sell-out.
St James’ Park, Newcastle
Potentially scrapping the Magic Weekend in the future could see Newcastle lost as a rugby league host city. The game’s new stakeholders, IMG, have sought to reduce the amount of games fans have to fork out to pay for in the near future, but that also means that rugby league could lose one of its most popular concepts and cities. Newcastle has been a roaring success for the Magic Weekend and if the Grand Final was ever to be held there, then that success would follow. The proximity of the venue to the centre is one of its main attractions whilst the stadium itself is incredible.
Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Keeping the Grand Final in Manchester and the Challenge Cup Final in London could still be an option – but host the former at the Etihad rather than Old Trafford. The Etihad is newer with a smaller capacity that will be expanded upon in the near future, making it perfect for rugby league – as it has shown in the past when hosting the Magic Weekend. Whilst Old Trafford feels run down, the Etihad could be the way to spruce up a Grand Final that has become stale in recent years. Of course, the home of United is the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ but the Etihad could certainly be the way forward.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
Taking the Grand Final to London could be a massive gamble, but it’s one that rugby league perhaps needs to make. The success of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the 2022 Challenge Cup Final makes the venue a serious contender for hosting another final of rugby league. The stadium itself is an incredible one, with restaurants and bars aplenty in the surrounding area as well as in the venue itself. To say it is a newly-built venue there has been no less in atmosphere that can sometimes occur at a fresh new stadium, it would just be interesting to see how well it would go down for the Grand Final.
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