Manchester United have announced plans for a new 100,000-seater stadium that co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe says would be the “world’s greatest” football ground.
The Premier League club have been examining whether to redevelop their Old Trafford home or build a new stadium in the same area in conjunction with the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force.
United have now confirmed their “intention to pursue a new 100,000-seater stadium as the centrepiece of the regeneration of the Old Trafford area” as they throw their “support behind the Government’s growth agenda”.
Scaled models and conceptual images for how the new Old Trafford and surrounding area could look like were revealed on Tuesday morning at the London headquarters of architects Foster + Partners, appointed in September to design the stadium district.
‘Today marks the start of an incredibly exciting journey to the delivery of what will be the world’s greatest football stadium, at the centre of a regenerated Old Trafford,’ Ratcliffe said.
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‘Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport.
‘By building next to the existing site, we will be able to preserve the essence of Old Trafford, while creating a truly state-of-the-art stadium that transforms the fan experience only footsteps from our historic home.
‘Just as important is the opportunity for a new stadium to be the catalyst for social and economic renewal of the Old Trafford area, creating jobs and investment not just during the construction phase but on a lasting basis when the stadium district is complete.
‘The Government has identified infrastructure investment as a strategic priority, particularly in the north of England, and we are proud to be supporting that mission with this project of national, as well as local, significance.’
More to follow…
For years, fans of Walkers crisps have been begging the brand to bring back one very specific flavour.
Worcester Sauce crisps were axed in September 2023 and the controversial decision to stop selling the snack was branded a ‘crime’, with many saying they felt ‘bereft’.
Then two weeks ago, all that changed as the crisp giants announced the ‘god tier’ flavour was finally making a comeback – but there was a big catch.
The crisps, which feature the iconic taste of Lea & Perrins, would only be available to buy from a convenience store in Worcester, and there was only going to be a limited supply available.
Understandably, this caused a big commotion.
While many flocked to the West Midlands to get their hands on a packet, not everyone was able to travel that far, so once again Walkers was inundated with messages from fans demanding they bring back Worcester Sauce crisps, but this time nationwide.
On Instagram, @tripleeatsfood proclaimed: ‘NATION WIDE RELEASE NEEDED RIGHT NOW!!!’ As @krissie.p74 said: ‘Bring them back everywhere. Best crisps ever.’
@derighetti admitted they were ‘crying from Edinburgh’, while @chantzy91 thought: ‘They need to be worldwide. They are my favourite. No crisp compares.’
Similarly @jjone5y commented: ‘I’m currently losing sleep over this. Please tell me they are coming out nationwide.’ And @cammywoo666 added: ‘Bring to the whole uk plz.’
Thankfully, it seems the message has been received loud and clear, as the crisp brand has issued an apology to its loyal customers – and announced they’ll be making a major U-turn.
Walkers said: ‘On reflection, maybe we shouldn’t have just limited the sale of Walkers Worcester Sauce flavoured crisps to only one store in Worcester.
‘Fans, we’ve heard your outrage loud and clear. So we’ve decided that your favourite Walkers Worcester Sauce flavour crisps will land on shelves at retailers all over the UK from Monday March 17 onwards.
‘We’re working hard to make them available for everyone to enjoy the beloved flavour – which is now even more Worcesterhsire-y with Lea & Perrins’ iconic sauce. We’re sorry for any distress caused.’
While crisp lovers will enjoy this comeback, it seems there’s one flavour that fans would like to see the back of.
Walkers recently released a new limited-edition Sensations flavour ahead of Easter, but the crisps have been dubbed the ‘worst ever made’ by disappointed snackers.
The Slow Roasted Pork & Apple Sauce flavour is described as being ‘unforgettable’ with an ‘a rich, smoky aroma of slow-roasted pork balanced with sweet, tangy apple sauce.’
But the taste has failed to impress, with food blogger @johns_snackreviews scoring them a brutal 0/10 and saying they need to be ‘slam dunked straight in the bin’ as they ‘taste like sick and smell like out of date meat’.
Numerous people in the comments agreed, as they said the crisps were ‘rank’ and ‘gross’.
However, not everyone saw an issue as some thought they were ‘on point’ and gave them a ‘9/10’.
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe has opened up on his decision to cull Sir Alex Ferguson’s ambassadorial role as part of his brutal cost-cutting measures at Manchester United.
The club’s most successful ever manager, now 83, lost his £2million-a-year position back in October.
INEOS chief Ratcliffe has made some hugely unpopular decisions since he bought a minority stake in the club and assumed control of all football operations.
Fans protested against both Ratcliffe and the Glazer family ahead of Sunday’s Premier League game against Arsenal at Old Trafford where misery on the pitch is mirrored by a sense of doom and gloom off it.
Ratcliffe got rid of 200 jobs last year and more redundancies are on the way with long-serving club staff fearing for their livelihoods.
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Ousting Ferguson from his position, meanwhile, demonstrated that almost nobody is safe from the axe at United these days but the legendary Scot is said to have understood the motives behind Ratcliffe’s most divisive moves so far.
Speaking to the BBC, Ratcliffe said: ‘I take my hat off to Alex.
‘I sat down with Alex, just the two of us in the room. And I said ‘Look, the club isn’t where you may think it is’.
‘It is spending more than it’s earning and we’re going to finish up in some difficulties.
‘Honestly, we can’t really afford to continue to pay you £2 million a year’.
‘I said “I’m going to leave it with you, let you have a think about it’.
‘It was very grown up. Maybe a little bit grumpy at the beginning but he got it.
‘He came back three days later, after talking to his son, and said ‘Fine, I’m going to step away from it. My decision’.
‘I think it reflects really well on Alex, because he put the club before himself.’
The dire nature of United’s perilous financial position was outlined by Ratcliffe in a number of detailed interviews on Monday evening where he claimed the club could be bust by Christmas were he to avoid more difficult decisions.
He said: ‘It’s a simple equation. If you spend more than you earn eventually that’s the road to ruin. So for the last seven seasons, if you include this season, the club would have lost money. Seven consecutive seasons.
‘I think that totals about £330m, so about a third of a billion of cash that’s gone out of the club in the last four or five seasons.
‘The costs of running the club in the last seven years have increased by £100m. The cost of the player wage bill in the last seven years or so is £100m. The increase in the revenue during that period is £100m. And that sum doesn’t work.
‘If you are losing money every year, and at the same time you are increasing your costs of running the club, it doesn’t work and it ends in trouble. And that’s where this club would have finished up at the end of this year.
‘All of the things that we are doing are essential, are necessary to the club. They are not easy things to do, but we’ll get through that process and we will come out of the other side in the summer. Some of that is all finished and done with now.’