Manchester United puts pieces of Old Trafford grass up for sale

London – Reuters – In an unexpected move, English football club Manchester United is offering its fans the chance to own a piece of the grass from its “Old Trafford” stadium, with preserved sections put up for sale at £125 ($165.49).

Known as the “Theatre of Dreams,” Old Trafford has been Manchester United’s home ground since 1910 and has witnessed some of the most significant moments in the club’s history, including its record 13 Premier League titles.

The club said in a statement: “Victories and defeats, successes and failures, moments of glory and heartbreak. We have seen it all. Now, fans can own a piece of the grass. Don’t worry, there are no holes or divots in the pitch at the moment. All this has been made possible because Old Trafford was fully lifted and stripped down to the foundations in June, for the first time in 14 years.”

The statement added: “This precise project was completed by Tony Sinclair, an award-winning pitch maintenance expert, and his team of specialists, with the aim of re-laying the turf to better care for player comfort and drainage.”

It continued: “As part of this process, sections of the pitch were carefully preserved and later placed in glass cubes to serve as a special memento for the club’s supporters.”

This initiative comes at a difficult time for Manchester United, both on and off the pitch. The team finished third in the English Premier League last season, but its current campaign has started poorly, sitting in 12th place with just one win and two draws in its first five matches.

The club also announced that it has recorded an annual loss for the seventh consecutive year, as costs related to player signings and the dismissal of former Portuguese manager Ruben Amorim this year have pushed the club into further deficit.