Trafford Training Centre
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Trafford Training Centre (usually referred to by the
synecdoche Synecdoche ( ) is a type of metonymy; it is a figure of speech that uses a term for a part of something to refer to the whole (''pars pro toto''), or vice versa (''totum pro parte''). The term is derived . Common English synecdoches include '' ...
of Carrington) is the
training ground A training ground is an area where professional association football teams prepare for matches, with activities primarily concentrating on skills and fitness. They also sometimes form part of a club's youth system, as clubs consider it important ...
and
academy An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...
headquarters of English
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
club
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
. It is near the village of Carrington, Greater Manchester,
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
, and replaced The Cliff as the club's training ground in 2000. Construction on the complex began in 1999, the main building was opened and the first team moved in in 2000, followed in 2002 by the Academy facility, home to the club's renowned
youth system In sporting terminology, a youth system (or youth academy) is a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team if they show en ...
. In 2013, major additions were completed at the complex, including a medical centre and sports science department. At the end of the 1990s, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson felt that the club's training ground, The Cliff (which had been in use since 1938), was inadequate as the
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
entered the 21st century. Ferguson was also unhappy about the lack of privacy at The Cliff, with journalists present on a daily basis, opposition team scouts able to watch training sessions, and supporters asking for autographs and photographs with players. The club's board set about finding a new location for their training ground, and purchased more than 100 acres of secluded land in Carrington – less than from
Old Trafford Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and is the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,197, it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after W ...
stadium. Construction began in 1999, with a budget of £22 million, of which £14 million was spent on the Main Building (first team) which opened in the summer of 2000, and a further £8 million spent on the Academy Facility, opening in the summer of 2002. A new £25 million
medical Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...
and
sports science Sports science is a discipline that studies how the healthy human body works during exercise, and how sports and physical activity promote health and performance from cellular to whole body perspectives. The study of sports science traditionally i ...
facility was constructed on the grounds in 2013. This brought the total cost of construction to over £60 million. Approximately 300 people work at Carrington on a daily basis.


Facilities


Main Building

The Main Building, which houses the Manchester United first team, was opened in the
pre-season In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of S ...
of 2000. It comprises two levels. The ground floor includes; a large
gym A gym, short for gymnasium (: gymnasiums or gymnasia), is an indoor venue for exercise and sports. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasion". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learn ...
nasium, indoor
running track An all-weather running track is a rubberized, artificial running surface for track and field athletics. It provides a consistent surface for competitors to test their athletic ability unencumbered by adverse weather conditions. Historically, v ...
s, rehabilitation training hall, squash and
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
courts, weights room, 25-metre
swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming and associated activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built abo ...
, remedial and hydrotherapy pools, spa pool,
jacuzzi Jacuzzi is an American private company that manufactures and markets hot tubs, pools, and other bath products. It is best known for the Jacuzzi hydrotherapy products. The company is headquartered in Irvine, California. It is the largest hot tu ...
, underwater treadmills,
sauna A sauna (, ) is a room or building designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions or an establishment with one or more of these facilities. The steam and high heat make the bathers perspire. A thermometer in a sauna is used to meas ...
and
steam room A steam bath is a steam-filled room or steam-filled cabinet designed for the purpose of relaxation and holistic treatment. Steam baths have been formally recognized since ancient Greek and Roman Empire, Roman times, yet variations can be found t ...
s, sunbeds (for
Vitamin D Vitamin D is a group of structurally related, fat-soluble compounds responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphate, along with numerous other biological functions. In humans, the most important compo ...
),
yoga Yoga (UK: , US: ; 'yoga' ; ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated with its own philosophy in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as pra ...
rooms, administration and executive offices, seven team
changing room A changing room, locker room (usually in a sports, theater, or staff context), or changeroom (regional use) is a room or area designated for changing one's clothes. Changing-rooms are provided in a semi-public situation to enable people to ch ...
s, staff changing rooms, laundry rooms and five kit/boot rooms. The first floor includes; the first team manager's office (overlooking outdoor training pitches), manager's
personal assistant A personal assistant, also referred to as personal aide (PA) or personal secretary (PS), is a job title describing a person who assists a specific person with their daily business or personal task. It is a subspecialty of secretarial duties ...
office, assistant manager's office, coaches offices, match and opposition analysis suite,
physiotherapy Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is a healthcare profession, as well as the care provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through patient education, physical intervention, disease preventio ...
treatment rooms (with 10 physio beds),
massage Massage is the rubbing or kneading of the body's soft tissues. Massage techniques are commonly applied with hands, fingers, elbows, knees, forearms, feet, or a device. The purpose of massage is generally for the treatment of body stress or pa ...
rooms, first aid station, doctor's office, physio's office (overlooking swimming pools, rehab hall, and weight room),
classrooms A classroom, schoolroom or lecture room is a learning space in which both children and adults learn. Classrooms are found in educational institutions of all kinds, ranging from preschools to universities, and may also be found in other place ...
, conference rooms, charity staff offices (Manchester United Foundation),
restaurant A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and Delivery (commerce), food delivery services. Restaurants ...
seating over 100 people, players' lounge, recreation and games rooms, as well as an elevated, covered viewing gallery overlooking the outdoor pitches. The Main Building was extended and updated in 2013, and renovated in 2024-25.


The Academy

The Academy Facility, which houses the Manchester United Football Club Under-21s, was opened in the close-season of 2002 by club legend Sir Bobby Charlton, himself a product of the club's prestigious Academy. The Academy Facility comprises two levels. The ground floor includes; a full-size indoor football pitch with a synthetic
AstroTurf AstroTurf is an American subsidiary of SportGroup that produces artificial turf for pitch (sports field), playing surfaces in sports. The original AstroTurf product was a pile (textile), short-pile synthetic turf invented in 1965 by Monsanto. Si ...
surface, a full-size outdoor
football pitch A football pitch or soccer field is the playing surface for the game of association football. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game (association football), Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play". The pitch is ty ...
with heated and floodlit AstroTurf surface (built to specifications of the pitch at Old Trafford), 11 dressing rooms for; youth teams, coaches and referees, coaches briefing rooms, kit/boot room, player treatment facility and physio's office. The first floor includes; indoor viewing balcony overlooking indoor pitch, outdoor viewing balcony overlooking outdoor pitches, visitors and parents lounge, staff training rooms and an MUTV
television studio A television studio, also called a television production studio, is an installation room in which video productions take place, either for the production of live television and its recording onto video tape or other media such as SSDs, or for ...
. Manchester United Soccer Schools also use the Academy Facility, and young students can avail of education facilities at the ground.


Medical & Sports Science Department

In 2012, work began on a new £25 million medical facility at the site. It was completed in early 2013, and includes a state-of-the-art
hospital A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...
wing and sports science department for treating player injuries and assisting in recuperation, with treatment rooms and offices for; doctors, physiotherapists, sports scientists, sports psychologists,
statisticians A statistician is a person who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors. It is common to combine statistical knowledge with expertise in other subjects, and statisticians may ...
and dieticians. The facility was supplied with £13 million worth of medical equipment by
Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation Canon Medical Systems Corporation is a medical equipment company based in Ōtawara, Tochigi, Japan. Formerly known as Toshiba Medical, a subsidiary of Toshiba, the company was an early pioneer on X-ray tubes in 1914 in Japan. Canon Medical S ...
, as part of their sponsorship with the club, and the medical centre is fitted with
x-ray computed tomography An X-ray (also known in many languages as Röntgen radiation) is a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than those of ultraviolet rays and longer than those of gamma rays. Roughly, X-rays have a wavelength ran ...
(CT),
magnetic resonance imaging Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to generate pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes inside the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and ...
(MRI) and
ultrasound Ultrasound is sound with frequency, frequencies greater than 20 Hertz, kilohertz. This frequency is the approximate upper audible hearing range, limit of human hearing in healthy young adults. The physical principles of acoustic waves apply ...
scanners, as well as other high-tech screening equipment normally reserved for hospitals.


Women's Team

In 2023, Manchester United opened a new facility specifically designed for their women's first team.


Outdoor facilities

The site covers a total area of , of which 85 acres are used by the club. On the grounds, there are a total of 14 football pitches of varying sizes; 12 of which are grass pitches (with drainage,
irrigation sprinkler An irrigation sprinkler (also known as a water sprinkler or simply a sprinkler) is a device used to irrigate (water) agricultural crops, lawns, landscapes, golf courses, and other areas. They are also used for cooling and for the control of airb ...
s, under-soil heating and floodlights), one full-size outdoor floodlit and heated AstroTurf all-weather pitch, one full-size indoor floodlit and heated AstroTurf artificial pitch and a special
goalkeeper In many team sports that involve scoring goal (sport), goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie, or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or i ...
training area. Desso GrassMaster playing surfaces are used, the same surface as the pitch at Old Trafford. There is a
helipad A helipad is the landing area of a heliport, in use by helicopters, powered lift, and vertical lift aircraft to land on surface. While helicopters and powered lift aircraft are able to operate on a variety of relatively flat surfaces, a fa ...
at the structure. The unused 23 acres of remaining land includes a small
nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
, maintained by the club and the Cheshire Wildlife Trust. There are two
ponds A pond is a small, still, land-based body of water formed by pooling inside a depression, either naturally or artificially. A pond is smaller than a lake and there are no official criteria distinguishing the two, although defining a pond t ...
which are used as part of the waste water treatment system.


Security

Carrington is considered one of the most secretive and secure sports training facilities in Europe. The media and locals have dubbed the complex "Fortress Carrington", due to the security measures in place at the grounds. There is a long, 8 metre (26 feet) high security wall, video surveillance cameras,
intrusion detection systems An intrusion detection system (IDS) is a device or software application that monitors a network or systems for malicious activity or policy violations. Any intrusion activity or violation is typically either reported to an administrator or collec ...
, and over 30,000 trees have been planted surrounding the site, rendering it impossible to see into the premises. The complex is staffed 24/7 by a security team, who conduct roaming patrols, in order to prevent members of the media and opposition spies from gaining access to team practice sessions for upcoming matches. Fans are prohibited from entering the facility, and are also banned from requesting autographs and photographs from professional players outside it. During the season, the media is allowed into the complex only once a week when the manager briefs the press before games, and they are only ever allowed to take photographs and videos of the team training ahead of home Champions League or
Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
fixtures – due to
UEFA The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; ; ) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach soccer, beach football in Europe and the List of transcontinental countries#A ...
regulations – and for just 15 minutes. There are no road signs or markings indicating the existence of the complex. There are a number of entrances into the complex, all guarded by security barriers and protected by security staff. There is also a helipad at the training ground, used for player medicals and transfers, and by the club's owners, the Glazer family.


Sponsorship

In April 2013, Manchester United announced an eight-year naming rights agreement with Aon that would see the Trafford Training Centre renamed as the Aon Training Complex until 2021. The deal has been estimated to be worth £180 million (£22.5 million per-year), three times the club's outlay on the training complex itself (£60 million). Toshiba Medical Systems, as part of their five-year sponsorship agreement with the club, provided £13 million of medical systems to the complex in 2013.


See also

* The Cliff Training Ground * Old Trafford Stadium * Manchester United Academy * Manchester United Television (MUTV)


References

{{Manchester United F.C. Manchester United F.C. Football venues in Greater Manchester Sport in Trafford
Trafford Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England, with an estimated population of in . It covers and includes the area of Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford and the towns of Altrincham, Stretford, Urmston, Partington and Sa ...