▁would ▁have ▁held ▁far ▁fewer ▁spect ators ▁than ▁before . ▁En closed ▁by ▁resident ial ▁streets ▁on ▁all ▁sides , ▁expansion ▁was ▁pract ically ▁impossible . ▁So , ▁by ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁S under land ▁chairman ▁Bob ▁Murray ▁had ▁started ▁to ▁sc our ▁the ▁local ▁area ▁for ▁possible ▁sites ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁new ▁all - se ater ▁stad ium . ▁ ▁The ▁front - runner ▁that ▁emer ged ▁was ▁a ▁proposed ▁stad ium ▁located ▁on ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁land ▁adjacent ▁to ▁the ▁N iss an ▁car ▁plant . ▁The ▁ 4 9 , 0 0 0 ▁all - se ater ▁ground ▁was ▁label led ▁" the ▁W emble y ▁of ▁the ▁North " ▁by ▁S under land ▁fans ▁and ▁would ▁bo ast ▁a ▁capacity ▁that ▁not ▁even ▁Manchester ▁United ' s ▁Old ▁Tra ff ord ▁exceed ed ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁The ▁plans ▁did ▁not ▁come ▁to ▁f ru ition . ▁Short ly ▁after ▁the ▁plans ▁were ▁announced ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁N iss an ▁launched ▁an ▁official ▁ob jection , ▁ultimately ▁forcing ▁S under land ▁to ▁abandon ▁the ▁idea . ▁By ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁W ear mouth ▁Col li ery , ▁which ▁had ▁closed ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁was ▁identified ▁as ▁the ▁club ' s ▁preferred ▁location ▁for ▁a ▁new ▁stad ium . ▁The ▁area , ▁on ▁the ▁north ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁River ▁W ear ▁in ▁the ▁She ep f olds ▁district