Manchester United appeal to Labour Government to help with 'once in a lifetime opportunity'
United need financial backing from the Government to help regenerate the area around their new stadium, that will cost around £2billion, and is expected to create around 92,000 new jobs
Manchester United have appealed to the Government for help to fund the club's project to build a new stadium. United have launched plans to build a new state-of-the-art stadium close to Old Trafford, that is expected to cost in the region of £2billion.
The project is expected to create around 92,000 new jobs and regenerate the surrounding area. United are looking for funding to help cover the cost of building the new ground. But club bosses want the government to contribute towards creating the infrastructure around the stadium, including transport links.
United chief operating officer Collette Roche believes creating a new stadium is a "once in a lifetime opportunity”. She said: "It's very early in the journey, but it's an amazing opportunity that we've got, not just for Manchester United, but for the region.
"Whilst we'll build a stadium that's great for our team, and for the club and our fans, it's so much more than that. It’s become a regional project and probably will be one of the biggest in Europe.
"As such, it's bigger than us at Manchester United. So, we needed to get support and work with a lot of stakeholders across Manchester and central government.
“It's not just a Manchester United vision. It's a vision for the region. It's a vision for Trafford and it's a vision for Manchester, and that's why Andy Burnham (Manchester mayor), and Trafford Council, are really keen to work with us.
"There's no point building the best and biggest stadium in the UK, and it being on an island where you can't get to it because the transport links aren't there, or people can't come on a non-match day, or local businesses can't be part of.
"So our ask of the government is that they support, not the stadium build, but support the infrastructure and the regeneration of the area. And when we've looked at it really closely, it actually ticks so many boxes for the government around their growth strategy.
"So it's very easy for us to use this as a catalyst to help deliver the government plans.”
It's estimated that the new ground, designed by architect Lord Foster, would cost around £2billion and take around five years to build - but there are challenges that the club have to overcome. The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham, has previously said that no public money would be used to build the club's proposed new stadium.
Ratcliffe had previously referenced the Government on the day United's plans were shared with the world, declaring: "If the government really gets behind this scheme, we will build an iconic football stadium."
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