Sebastian Coe to head Man United task force on Old Trafford’s future
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Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium opened in 1910 and last had renovations in 2006.
PHOTO: AFP
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LONDON – Manchester United do not plan to leave Old Trafford, the club confirmed on March 8, and have appointed Sebastian Coe as chairman of a task force to study whether to renovate the 114-year-old iconic stadium or build a new facility on adjacent club-owned land.
The Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force comes on the heels of British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe’s minority acquisition of a 27.7 per cent stake in the club.
“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,” the 71-year-old said in a statement.
“The north-west of England has a greater concentration of major football clubs than anywhere else in the world, yet we don’t have a stadium on the scale of Wembley, the Nou Camp or the Bernabeu.”
Ratcliffe’s initial conclusion was that a new build would be the best solution and the club’s board is supportive of exploring this route.
Coe is the former chair of the 2012 London Olympics organising committee and president of World Athletics.
Other members of the task force include Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester; Sara Todd, chief executive of Trafford Council; and Gary Neville, former United captain, among others.
“I’m incredibly fortunate to have had the privilege of playing hundreds of games at Old Trafford, and no one can take away those amazing memories,” said Neville, who co-owns Hotel Football, a luxury hotel overlooking Old Trafford.
“But Old Trafford has evolved throughout its history and it’s clear we are at a point where it has to change again to ensure that Manchester United has a world-class stadium befitting the world’s greatest club.
“Old Trafford should be a stadium that the whole of Greater Manchester can take pride in.”
United want to be equipped to handle international games and major finals plus provide a modernised home for the club, the task force added.
But they were keen to stay in the Old Trafford area to remain rooted to their historic home.
Old Trafford opened in 1910 and last had renovations in 2006.
The Glazer family, the majority owners of United, have often been criticised for the lack of investment in the club.
There were videos going viral on social media in recent months of a leaking roof and fans getting soaked in the rain, while a toilet in the stadium was once overflowing with urine.
Ratcliffe committed £237 million (S$406 million) of his own money for improvement in infrastructure, though it is debatable whether it is enough from a multi-billionaire who wants to build a world-class facility.
Any project would cost considerably more – around £1 billion or more if he wants to build a new stadium the scale of “Wembley, the Nou Camp or the Bernabeu” – and so the club will explore public-private partners.
The Times has said the government is likely to reject Ratcliffe’s approach for taxpayers’ money for redevelopment.
It remains to be seen how the plans will progress, but task force member Duncan Drasdo, CEO of Manchester United Supporters Trust, said it is “very encouraging and exciting to see the vision and ambition behind this project”.
“Not only to put Old Trafford back on among the world’s leading football stadiums, but for it to form part of a wider regeneration,” he said. REUTERS
