SIR JIM RATCLIFFE has revealed he wants to build a 100,000 seater stadium for Manchester United.
United’s co-owner is in charge of football activity at the club but he also has big plans off the pitch.
One of the biggest questions United face is what to do with Old Trafford, with Ratcliffe appearing to favour building a new stadium.
He envisions a new state-of-the-art facility that can act as the ‘Wembley of the North’, and host around 100,000 spectators.
Ratcliffe said on the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast: “You have got this opportunity if you choose to, to build a completely new ground, because we have got enough space.
“If you built a completely new ground it would absolutely be state-of-the-art, world class, 90,000 or maybe even 100,000 that then provides a platform for some of the big competitions in the north of England.
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“Why do England always play in the south? Why is the FA Cup final always in the south? Why can’t the Champions League final be in the north occasionally?
“Football in the north is just as important as it is in the south, arguably more so, and the people in the north pay their taxes, so why do we have Wembley, Twickenham, Wimbledon etc in the south.
“What have we got in the north? There’s a strong argument to build a ‘Wembley of the north’.”
Ratcliffe pointed to the examples Real Madrid and Barcelona have set with regard to building state-of-the-art stadiums.
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The United chief was impressed by the Bernabeu on his last visit after Real Madrid spent £1billion renovating the famous arena.
And he believes United – and the Premier League – are deserving of a ground that can equal the Spanish pair.
He added: “It [United] needs to have a stadium that is befitting the club and the brand. That might have been the case 20 years ago but it isn’t today.
“If you look at what Real Madrid are doing now with the Bernabeu and what Barcelona with the Nou Camp, the Bernabeu now is fabulous, it’s like a cauldron of noise it’s really impressive.
“The Premier League needs to have some grounds that are the equal of out European competitors.”
A “Wembley of the North” could cost around £2bn and ideas for the new arena have been brought to life by AI.
Lord Ping created several new images of what the New Old Trafford could look like, drawing on inspiration from the current stadium.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
