Lord Sebastian Coe headed a task force overseeing Old Trafford’s regeneration amid plans to build a ‘Wembley of the North’.
Monday’s meeting was led by the former British Olympian in Manchester to decide whether to knock Old Trafford in favour of a new stadium next door. Lord Coe was joined by former Manchester United captain Gary Neville and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
Personally speaking, I would like to see Old Trafford remain in some capacity because getting rid of it completely would be a shame. The stadium as things stand is in desperate need of modification and that has sadly been the case at Old Trafford for years.
Ratcliffe has made it clear he wants a ‘Wembley of the north’ and is hoping to secure private and public funding to make it happen.
Still early days
Lord Coe took to X after meetings, writing: “Yesterday, I chaired the first meeting of the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force to kick-off a conversation about how development of a world-class football stadium for the north of England can deliver social and economic benefits for the region.
“At the London 2012 Olympics, I saw first-hand how sport can be a powerful driver of urban regeneration and I am excited to be part of this project.
“This meeting market the start of a multi-stakeholder process to explore options for the stadium and surrounding area.
“We are at the start of this journey, and it is too soon to know where it will lead. But we will consult closely with fans and local residents along the way, and keep everyone informed of progress.”
Yesterday, I chaired the first meeting of the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force to kick off a conversation about how development of a world-class football stadium for the north of England can deliver social and economic benefits for the region.
At the London 2012 Olympics, I… pic.twitter.com/TTntfdwcDa— Seb Coe (@sebcoe) April 16, 2024
Explaining his vision in March, Ratcliffe said (via Manchester Evening News): “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 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.
“We will not be able to change that on our own, which is why this task force is so important to help us seize this once-in-a-century opportunity.”
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