Old Trafford decision could be pushed until spring

Manchester United are set to delay a decision on whether to refurbish Old Trafford or build a new “Wembley of the North” until next year.

The club, owned by the Glazer family and billionaire Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe, had intended to make the call by the end of the year but it has now been pushed back until after Manchester mayor Andy Burnham’s Budget in March, according to multiple reports. 

An “options report” produced by the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, which features Burnham, World Athletics president Lord Coe and former player Gary Neville, is still set to be published by the end of the year.

Ratcliffe, who purchased 27 per cent of the club late last year, had previously lobbied the government to provide public funding for a 100,000-seater venue on the site of Old Trafford in a project dubbed a “Wembley of the North”. It could cost upwards of £2bn but there was no reference to the project in chancellor Rachel Reeves’s Budget last week.

Burnham has previously stated that no public funds would be given to the project, though taxpayer cash could be used to regenerate or relocate a local rail freight site, a move that would free up land adjacent to Old Trafford.

Architects Foster + Partners have been appointed “to develop a masterplan for the Old Trafford Stadium District, covering the club-owned land that surrounds the existing stadium”.

Reports from September stated that a new stadium and wider regeneration could boost the UK economy by over £7bn per year should a full 50-plus building development go ahead.

A majority of United fans are in favour of a new stadium, according to a survey, with the current structure falling into disrepair and increasingly unfit by today’s Premier League standards.

More than half of 50,000 season ticket holders, executive members and members would prefer a new stadium to be built, while less than a third prefer a renovation of the existing ground.

Rick McGagh, the club’s director of fan engagement, said: “We are delighted that this survey received the most responses in the club’s history. It shows how important this work is, and to have this level of engagement at this stage is a really positive place to start.

“We know how important our home is to fans and we need to listen to them and gain all their views and insights in order to develop the world-class stadium they deserve.

“We are able to view the results through different lenses to understand if our season ticket holders feel differently about anything than say our official members. And if younger fans have different views to older fans. This insight is incredibly helpful and allows the project team to understand the differences as well as the commonality in our fanbase.”