What AI thinks Bramall Lane could look like in 2050 as new Sheffield United claim dropped | OneFootball

The Blades' historic ground could be redeveloped in the years to come

Sheffield United have called Bramall Lane home now for nearly two centuries, with the stadium full of history despite being modernised over time.

Blades supporters are well-known for generating an intense atmosphere at their S2 home, and that has certainly been the case within the past decade, as they have risen from the depths of the EFL to as high as ninth in the Premier League - all under the management of current boss and boyhood supporter, Chris Wilder, who is now in the midst of his third spell after being reappointed by ownership group, COH Sports, in September 2025.

Despite the fact the Steel City side have resided in the Championship for the past two seasons, there is still a strong desire from the American consortium to eventually stabilise the club's position back in the Premier League.

The first step of such an objective could have taken place this season, in fact, were it not for the most agonising of play-off final defeats to Sunderland last May, as Tommy Watson's injury-time strike consigned the Blades to another season in the EFL.

After the disastrous pre-season appointment of Ruben Selles and the adoption of an AI-based transfer strategy, COH Sports are doing all they possibly can to restore the faith placed in them by supporters at Bramall Lane.

As well as hoping Wilder's side can be successful in an audacious, but still possible, second successive attempt at reaching the top six after addressing their dire start to the campaign, the owners and CEO, Stephen Bettis, have spoken about the idea of enhancing the matchday experience at one of English football's most historic stadiums.

At present, Bramall Lane boasts a capacity of 32,050, which is still extremely high for Championship standards. However, the aforementioned Bettis has spoken about the potential to increase such numbers.

With that in mind, Football League World quizzed AI-based chatbot, ChatGPT, as to how the ground could look in the year 2050.

AI believes Bramall Lane is set for major capacity increase by 2050 amid Stephen Bettis comments

This is not the first time that talk of an expansion of Bramall Lane has come to the fore, as it was revealed in 2018 that the Blades planned to expand the South Stand by a further 5,400 seats, which would take the capacity near to a 38,000-figure, whilst also hoping to improve the matchday experience of those who stand on the domineering Kop.

Speaking at a recent fans' forum, Bettis spoke about the need for such developments to come to fruition.

"I think we'd all like it to be redeveloped, wouldn't we, and the pillars come out?," he said.

"I know how frustrating it can be, but there's a cost implication, and if you do it, you want to do it right. There has to be a return on the investment.

"So, how do we do that? Do we make it bigger? Do we fill it? I'm not sure if we would. So, do we then put the prices (of season tickets) up? I don't think anyone wants that, including me," he added.

AI believes that, in 24 years' time, Bramall Lane will have a capacity of approximately 50,000, and this will be down to a major redevelopment of the Kop.

The computer believes that all pillars will eventually be removed, allowing for the stand to emulate that of Borussia Dortmund's famous 'Yellow Wall' at the Signal Iduna Park.

AI also believes that corners of the stadium will be filled, and that the Bramall Lane stand, which also houses away supporters in its bottom tier, will also see an increase in capacity.

As part of the redevelopment, it has been predicted that sustainability will be at its forefront, including solar panels and rainwater harvesting on the pitch. AI also believes that the new stands will be made out of low-carbon materials to make Bramall Lane 'net-zero'.

It has also been claimed that the stadium will become a hub for the community, which is something Birmingham City are looking to achieve with their upcoming 62,000-seater Powerhouse stadium.

Sheffield United supporters would hope Bramall Lane expansion doesn't hinder matchday traditions

Whilst the expansion will show that United's ownership group are moving with the times, there's no doubt that a modern expansion of Bramall Lane would divide opinion.

As is the case with many fanbases, Blades supporters will have grown up with several matchday routines and rituals that can only be experienced in this part of the world, and they will hope they aren't impacted by any form of expansion, as well as the hostile atmosphere which can be generated.