10272 Old Trafford is the first LEGO Manchester United set!

January 14, 2020 | 15

Yes, the rumours are true – LEGO have officially unveiled one of the most unexpected sets ever – a 3,898-piece replica of Manchester United’s stadium Old Trafford.

Manchester United fans the world over can now realise their dream of building Old Trafford (also known as the Theatre of Dreams) brick by brick in this stunning tribute to one of the most iconic football stadiums in the world.

10272 Old Trafford is set to cost US$299.99 / £249.99 / AU$449.99 and has a release date of 1 February 2020. LEGO VIPs will get early access to this set on 16 January 2020.

See below for regional pricing:

• LEGO 10272 Old Trafford [US] – US$299.99
• LEGO 10272 Old Trafford [AU] – AU$449.99
• LEGO 10272 Old Trafford [UK] – £249.99
• LEGO 10272 Old Trafford [EU] – €269.99
• LEGO 10272 Old Trafford [CA] – CA$349.99

It will be available at all LEGO Brand Retail Stores and from LEGO.com, and I also assume that it will also be on display and on sale at the Old Trafford Megastore.

The set is a 1:600 replica of Old Trafford, Manchester United’s home, which has a seating capacity of 74,879, making it the biggest club football stadium in England, and the second biggest overall stadium in England (with Wembley just edging it out).

If you follow the English Premier League or football (or, soccer for you Yanks and Aussies), you’ll instantly recognise Old Trafford’s distinctive architecture, from the stands all the way to the glass facade.

Interestingly, to allow you a better view of the interiors, the model is designed in modular fashion, with pins that connect each different stand to the pitch.

It is a very, very large set, measuring 18.5cm (6.5″) high, 47cm (18”) long and 39cm (15”) wide, making it a substantial display set.

Each of the stadium’s stands – the Stretford End, Sir Alex Ferguson Stand, Sir Bobby Charlton Stand and the East Stand are all captured in fine detail.

I especially like banners that hang from the stands, which mimic what they look like in real life such as the 20 LEGEND one (signifying 20 Premier League trophies, and our current manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer), Alex Ferguson’s legendary tenure as manager for 26 years, as well poignant memorials to the Flowers of Manchester, 8 first-team players who perished in the Munich Air Disaster.

Also included are the statues of the United Trinity, which immortalises George Best, Denis Law and one of the greatest players of all time, Bobby Charlton. They famously led the United team to their first European Cup in 1968.

Outside the stadium, in the glass section also lies a statue of Sir Matt Busby.

Here are more shots of Old Trafford. One thing you’ll notice is that this set is just slathered in stickers. There seems to be stickers everywhere, and except for the pitch, so man, if you hate stickers, you’re not going to have a fun time with this set.

This set just looks like a sublime display set, that’s perfect for any Manchester United fan.

So if you’ve been reading until here, you might have already guessed it but I’m a United fan. I’ve been one since I was six, and I’ll be one till the day I die.

I really couldn’t believe that LEGO actually went ahead with such an ambitious take on Old Trafford, and I am really, really, excited about getting my hands on this set.

It makes a lot of sense on both sides – both are massive brands, with legions of followers. Manchester United also has a massive fanbase in Asia, which LEGO is keen to tap into.

That said, my theory is that David Beckham had something to do with this. In case you didn’t know, David is a massive fan of LEGO, and it’s been really funny watching his wife Victoria Beckham gripe on her Instagram Stories about his obsession….

Becks (who’s a United legend) is bound to be very, very, pleased with this, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already received the set.

BUT. The timing of this set is a little… off. If you follow football, especially the English Premier League… you’ll know that Manchester United is currently terrible.

We’re a shadow of our dominant selves, and we’ve had a rotating door of managers who have come in and out, but never quite close to replicating the success or dominance during the Alex Ferguson years.

I expect a lot of bandwagon fans have stopped supporting United, and really, we don’t exactly play the most attractive football (except for Mason Greenwood and Rashford ?), so yeah, the last few years supporting United has not been fun.

That said, the United fanbase can be quite hardcore, and I suspect that there’ll be plenty who are fans of LEGO, or will become fans of LEGO through this set.

It’s just… a rather niche product, since it’s directly tied to a football club, as opposed to a country squad like 2016’s German National Football Team minifigures series.

A LOT of people used to hate United in the late 90s and noughties, and a lot of people still do, but we’re mostly a joke these days,

At this price and scale as well, it’ll be interesting to see how well received it will be by the community, but I can definitely see this selling incredible well in Asia.

I also have to applaud LEGO for trying to break new ground, as opposed to signing up every single licensed entertainment property they can get their hands on, so kudos to the team for trying.

Who knows, if this set sells well, we might see Anfield *puke*, The Emirates or even Stamford Bridge become a LEGO set one day.

So, I’m really keen to hear what you think about this set. Do you love it, hate it, or don’t care at all because you don’t watch football. Let me know in the comments!

LEGO 10272 Old Trafford will go on sale on 16 January 2020 for LEGO VIPs, followed by a wider release on 1 February 2020. It will be available from LEGO.com and LEGO Brand Retail Store.