Manchester United’s COO Collette Roche has reached out to the UK government for support over the building of the club’s new proposed stadium, although it will not require local taxpayer money.
She told the We Built This City podcast that the responsibility of building the new $2.65bn (£2bn) stadium falls on the shoulders of Manchester Utd, and is calling on the government to help with the infrastructure.
Man Utd unveiled plans for a new 100,000 capacity stadium as part of a wider regeneration project in March 2025,which could cost upwards of £4.2bn.
“We understand the stadium is our responsibility. We want to provide a great stadium for our fans. We will pay the £2bn I think it is at the last estimate to be able to do that,” Roche.
“But there is no point building the biggest or the best stadium in the UK and it being on an island and you can’t get to it because the transport links aren’t there or people can’t come on non-matchday or local businesses can’t be part of it.
“Our ask of the government is that they support, not the stadium build, but really support the infrastructure and regeneration of the area.”
Early planning problems
Dubbed ‘The Wembley of the North’, the proposed new stadium is planned to be situated on land near where the current Old Trafford is located. However, the land is owned by Feightliner, and which is reportedly asking £400m for the site.
Freightliner, owned by Canadian infrastructure giant Brookfield, has operated the Trafford Park, located near Old Trafford and Media City UK, rail terminal since the 1990s, taking over after British Rail’s freight services were privatised in 1996.
The company had previously hinted at relocating to a new depot in St Helens. Despite this, Freightliner will have acknowledged Man Utd’s pledge to generate over $9bn in gross value to the UK economy as a means for the lofty valuation for the land.
While this has no doubt caused early project pains, the new stadium and wider regeneration project has received the vocal support of Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
The club announced this week it is still optimistic it will be able to strike a deal with Freightliner.
Minority owner Jim Ratcliffe believes the new stadium and surrounding area could help create 90,000 jobs as well as £7.3bn to the UK economy, with a taskforce being led by Burnham, Lord Sebastian Coe and former Manchester United captain Gary Neville.
“It’s an amazing opportunity we’ve got,” said Roche. “Not just for Manchester United, but also for the region. While we will build a stadium that is great for our team, the club and our fans, it is so much more than that. It’s not just a Manchester United vision, it’s a vision for the region.
“That’s why Andy Burnham and Trafford Council are really keen to work with us.”
