As Old Trafford floods, Starmer meets Ratcliffe for talks about ‘Wembley of the North’

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has met with Labour leader Keir Starmer to discuss Manchester United’s plans for a potential new stadium and regeneration of the wider Trafford Park area.

Ratcliffe has convened a special taskforce headed by Lord Coe to explore the possibility of creating a world leading “Wembley of the North” stadium as the centrepiece of a sports, leisure and business campus.

United’s need for a new or redeveloped ground was reaffirmed on Sunday with stark footage of torrential rain cascading through Old Trafford like a waterfall.

Any moves to attract public funds would be for wider regeneration than a new stadium itself and Ratcliffe has now outlined what he has previously called a “once in a century” opportunity to Starmer – who could yet become the country’s next Prime Minister – before United’s Premier League defeat by Arsenal at Old Trafford.

Starmer, an Arsenal fan, was at the game as a guest of Andy Burnham, the recently re-elected Mayor of Greater Manchester who is also on the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force and joined in the talks with the Labour leader.

A United source said: “At this stage, the focal point of the project is the development of a world-class football stadium.

“But undoubtedly a wider opportunity exists to regenerate Trafford Park into a thriving sports, leisure and business campus – delivering huge positive social and economic benefits for the community and the region.

“The meeting is part of the ongoing engagement with political leaders on a national, regional, and local level as the task force continues to explore the options for the project.”

Ratcliffe favours a new build over redevelopment of United’s existing Old Trafford home but the viability of the project is being explored in greater depth by the task force, which also includes former United captain Gary Neville.

Burnham said in March that the project could have a bigger impact on the west of Manchester than the 2012 Olympics had on east London and should demand public money as potentially the biggest regeneration project in the history of the north of England.

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