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Manchester United have reportedly delayed any decision over their stadium redevelopment plans until next summer.
Since Sir Jim Ratcliffe completed his partial 27.7% investment into the club earlier this year, he has repeatedly expressed his desire to oversee the construction of a state-of-the-art arena that would be viewed as “the Wembley of the North.”
The other option on the table is believed to be the refurbishment of Old Trafford, which is currently in a poor and neglected state.
A report covered by The Peoples Person in September relayed that United were prepared to abandon plans to keep Old Trafford in the event they built a new £2billion super-stadium next door. Under this plan, Old Trafford would be bulldozed to the ground.
The Old Trafford task force, chaired by Lord Sebastian Coe – former Chair of the organising committee for the 2012 London Olympics – was set to deliver its recommendations on which option would be best for United and the surrounding area before the close of the year. A final decision would then be made before work officially commences.
The Telegraph reports that the task force are still due to deliver their options report before the end of December but a final decision on a new stadium or a refurbishment of Old Trafford will not be forthcoming until the summer of 2025.
According to the newspaper, “Delivery of a new 100,000-capacity stadium as the centrepiece of a huge regeneration project would be boosted if United could secure additional land around their existing Old Trafford home.”
“For the new-build option, unlocking its full potential – and making it a catalyst for one of the biggest regeneration projects the country has seen – would ideally require land adjacent to Old Trafford that is occupied by a huge rail freight terminal being repurposed on a reimagined 100-acre site.”
“United want to explore what is possible to maximise the area available to the club and are not expected to understand that fully until next spring.”
James Ducker explains, “There is an expectation that the city’s civic leaders will have greater clarity by then over what last week’s Budget will mean for Greater Manchester in terms of capital infrastructure investment. Other options, which may not require additional land, are also being explored.”
The Red Devils will bankroll any new stadium development plans themselves but the club could be boosted by public money for things such as transport and infrastructural costs that would benefit the wider area.
It’s understood that the task force are urging Ratcliffe and his people to be “as bold and brave as possible” by maximising the potential impact of any stadium redevelopment.
United appointed award-winning British architect Sir Norman Foster to develop a master plan for the revamp of the area owned by the club.
