DEMOLISH OLD TRAFFORD!

LONDON – Manchester United have backed Jim Ratcliffe’s plans to bulldoze Old Trafford and build a brand new state-of-the-art stadium on the site.

A joint taskforce has been set up to explore the options for regenerating the Old Trafford area of the city with the new stadium at the heart of the project, headed by Lord Sebastian Coe and including former United defender Gary Neville.

The ambition is to create a world-leading stadium in the heart of vibrant communities. The move has been driven by Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team, who have taken a 25 per cent stake in the club. They will draw on their wide experience of financing significant infrastructure projects which have cost far in excess of the £2 billion a new-build is expected to come in at. Public funding has not been ruled out although United are keen to stress they are ‘not looking for handouts’.

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The plan is to include and improve transport hubs, amenities and mixed income housing. An education institution could also be included.

Any new stadium is likely to feature a new, interactive museum and a five-star hotel. Those involved believe a new stadium would set new standards on energy efficiency and environmental protection.

A statement released by United, who will seek investment partners for what would be a vast project, said the group ‘will assess the feasibility of a new stadium of national significance equipped to host international games and finals, as well as providing a modernised home for Manchester United.’

Ratcliffe had already indicated that building a new stadium from scratch would make more sense than redeveloping the existing ground. He said: ‘This can be a major regeneration project for an area of Greater Manchester which has played such a key role in British industrial history, but which today requires new investment to thrive again.