Manchester United have earmarked the end of the year for the Old Trafford task force to conclude their findings.
It was announced in March that a task force to regenerate Old Trafford and the land around it had been created, and that it would be chaired by Lord Sebastian Coe.
Former United captain Gary Neville was appointed to the panel, along with Manchester Mayor Burnham and Sara Todd, chief executive of Trafford Council. The panel was created to explore all options but to closely examine the feasibility of a new building and wider regeneration.
Initially, an external source indicated the task force could conclude their findings at the end of the summer but that timeframe has been corrected by club sources.
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It’s understood the Old Trafford task force is expected to announce its findings toward the end of 2024 and once that is concluded, the next steps of the project can begin. The task force panel, which has 14 members, is aiming to hold at least one meeting per month.
Once the best course of action, whether to revamp or rebuild, is decided and the implications for the regeneration project are considered, there will be movement.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has said it’s his preference to build a new Old Trafford, to create a ‘Wembley of the north’ and a ‘stadium that’s befitting the club and the brand’. Estimated costs for that have been put at £2billion.
Neville, speaking on the club’s official Utd Podcast, claimed he would not oppose an entirely new stadium being built. “I’m not one of those that says that because I’ve watched football out there for 45 years that I need to watch the exact same players on that exact blade of grass,” he said.
Which architectural firm is given the contract to redevelop or rebuild Old Trafford is yet to be decided. American-founded company Populous were retained to explore the feasibility options for Old Trafford but that doesn’t mean they will be the architects used to advance the plans.
Populous are responsible for Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, The Emirates and the Principality in Cardiff, which was the first stadium in the UK with a fully retractable roof. They are the leading architectural firm for such redevelopments and it’s understood they are ‘hopeful’ of being trusted by Sir Jim Ratcliffe to design the future of Old Trafford.
Tottenham’s stadium is the best-in-class in the Premier League and cost around £1billion to build. It is the first purpose-built NFL venue outside of the US and Spurs have a deal to host a minimum of two games per year over 10 years, which is an extra revenue stream.
Neville added: “What I am absolutely certain of is that we need to have a stadium that is up there with some of the other great stadiums in Europe and in this country at this moment in time, Tottenham is the benchmark. It’s a stunning stadium, brand new, and we need to get to that level.”
The Old Trafford task force held its first meeting in April. Manchester Major Burnham was asked by the Manchester Evening News what happened and said: “It was an introductory meeting. We were all getting to know each other, although most of us knew each other already, but just scoping out what we could do.
“Obviously our role is to facilitate the club’s decision. We’re there to help with the information, evidence, perspective, sometimes adding broader perspective that sometimes the club aren’t aware of.
“So it was very high-level introductory, but it was really good that Lord Coe was there. I think that’s a really big statement of not just the club’s ambition but Greater Manchester’s ambition to have someone of his stature [involved] who delivered the London Olympics.
“And I think that sends a message that this is more than building a stadium, which is a really important message to get over. This is potentially one of the biggest regeneration projects that the north of England will see in this century actually, it’s that significant.”
The 14 members of the Old Trafford task force:
- Seb Coe, Chair
- Anna Bensky, Director of Major Projects at Peel Land and Property
- Tom Bloxham, Chairman of Urban Splash
- Eamonn Boylan, CEO of Greater Manchester Combined Authority
- Victoria Braddock, Managing Director of Marketing Manchester
- Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
- Duncan Drasdo, CEO of Manchester United Supporters’ Trust
- Dan Jones, former Head of Sports Business at Deloitte
- Gary Neville, former captain of Manchester United
- Tim Newns, Managing Director for Levelling Up at the UK Office for Investment
- Malcolm Press, Vice-Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University
- Tom Ross, Leader of Trafford Council
- Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester
- Sara Todd, CEO of Trafford Council