The Political Economy of Football V2

On Thursday morning, Manchester United unveiled the proposed location of their new, 100,000-capacity stadium.  Unsurprisingly, minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s prize project will be based on land the club acquired last month to the north-west of the existing Old Trafford stadium, around 350 metres away from what has been their home since 1910. Collette Roche, United’s chief executive of new stadium development, spoke to journalists following the event at Old Trafford to give an update on where the plans stand, and how they have changed since United first announced their ambitions for a new home in March last year.  Back in March 2025, Ratcliffe expressed confidence that the project could be completed in as little as five years, provided it gained the support of local and national government. Omar Berrada, United’s chief executive, was unequivocal on timescales at that stage. When asked if the 2030-31 season was the target for the grand opening, he simply said: “Yes.”Yet ...

Fans of other clubs may be less than pleased to hear about the prospect of public funding for Manchester United’s new stadium, but the funding would be for associated works rather than the stadium itself.   In other countries, not least the United States, there is public funding for stadium projects because of the claimed wider benefits.   Indeed, local governments compete to attract sport franchises. Influential Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham says he is expecting to secure more than £200mn in government funding for the regeneration of Old Trafford in the forthcoming spending review, paving the way for Manchester United to build a new stadium.  Burnham told the Financial Times that he was having accelerated talks with ministers about his funding request and was confident of a “quick answer”. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is due to outline the government’s public expenditure plans for the rest of the parliament on June 11. Asked if he was expecting a promis...