Manchester United official statement on Monday sets clock ticking for Newcastle United | OneFootball

Manchester United have released an official statement this (Monday 9 September 2024) morning, which has ramifications for Newcastle United.

I wrote about this six weeks ago (see below) when there was a media exclusive from The Athletic.

Bottom line is that Manchester United are going to end up with a much bigger ‘world-class’ state of the art stadium.

What I said back at the end of July still holds true, even more so, for Newcastle United.

The clock is now ticking very loudly on Tyneside.

This farce has to end of hiding behind supposed feasibility studies.

In a few weeks these Newcastle United United owners will have had NUFC ownership for fully three years and indeed, it will be over five years since they first began the process of buying the club.

To be still claiming in public they aren’t sure what is and isn’t possible regarding what will happen with a Newcastle United stadium moving forward, is beyond belief really.

As I have stated a number of times previously, my belief for sure is that long long before they even completed the takeover, the Saudi Arabia PIF and Reuben family will have absolutely known for sure what the feasible options were, whether that is what could be possible with an expanded St James’ Park, or a brand new stadium on another site, specifically a site just above SJP on Leazes Park and/or Castle Leazes.

Manchester United (and others) already have massive financial advantages and this is only get worse and worse where Man U in particular are concerned, if (WHEN!) they get this massive new state of the art stadium built, unless Newcastle United do similar.

As I say, the clock is ticking, we need the Newcastle United owners to unveil their own plans ASAP on a massively expanded capacity stadium, how they are going to work with all the relevant authorities, whether that is the local council, the Freemen, whoever, to make this happen. Just like the Manchester United project, look to get not just the backing of all the relevant political and non-political partners, but also access to public funds to help make this a reality.

Manchester United official announcement – 9 September 2024:

Manchester United, Trafford Council, and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) have entered into a strategic partnership to maximise the growth and regeneration opportunities of the Trafford Wharfside area.

An advisory team, led by an independent director, will be appointed to support the ongoing work to develop an ambitious vision for the area around Old Trafford, with a focus on how a world-class stadium can catalyse wider regeneration, bringing social and economic benefits to all of Trafford and the surrounding city region.

The appointed director and advisory team will ensure alignment with the existing Trafford Wharfside masterplanning process and the work of the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, the group of local leaders and national experts set up in March to explore options for a new or redeveloped stadium at the home of Manchester United.

Technical and project management support will be provided by the advisory team to Trafford Council, GMCA and Manchester United as planning work intensifies, with the group also delivering important guidance to inform the final recommendations of the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force.

Lord Coe, Chair of the Task Force, said: “The objective of this once-in-a-generation project is not only the development of a world-class stadium for the north of England, but also to ensure that this brings broad social and economic benefits to the local area and surrounding region.

“There is a huge opportunity to connect Trafford Wharfside regeneration with the ongoing growth of neighbouring Media City in Salford, and Greater Manchester’s Western Gateway and Central Growth Cluster plans, to create a project of national significance. The tripartite advisory team will help fully unlock this incredibly exciting potential.”

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “Greater Manchester has a strong claim to be the biggest footballing city-region on the planet. Few places come close to matching our heritage and the global impact of our clubs and our culture.

“The future of Old Trafford is the next chapter of that story, and we have a chance now to make sure it’s written properly.

“With this new partnership we have the expertise, the vision, and the passion to drive forward the regeneration of the Trafford Wharfside area, and deliver real benefits for the community, the fans, and for the economy across the North.”

Councillor Liz Patel, Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration at Trafford Council, added: “We have ambitious regeneration plans for the Trafford Wharfside area. Our plan is for up to 5,000 new homes in the area, new opportunities for retail space and better connections between Trafford Wharfside, Salford and Manchester city centre.

“Trafford is proud to be the home of Manchester United, we already attract thousands of visitors every year, this transformational change will make it the perfect visitor destination for new businesses to invest in.

“We want Trafford Wharfside to be nationally recognised as a place which is dynamic and attractive for residents and businesses, so I look forward to working closely with our partners and local residents to realise our shared goal of transforming the area for everyone.”

What I said about Manchester United and Newcastle United regarding potential new stadiums back on 29 July 2024:

Whilst we are all still waiting for news on what Newcastle United are planning on doing, a new Manchester United update on their stadium plans.

This comes via an exclusive from The Athletic (see below).

They report that Manchester United are now working on plans for a 100,000 capacity stadium.

The idea would be to build a brand new state of the art stadium next to the current Old Trafford.

If going ahead with this idea, it would mean the new 100,000 seater stadium could be built with no disruption to the current Old Trafford site and capacity. Allowing for a smooth transition without fans experiencing problems in the meantime, such as a cut in capacity to allow rebuilding work on the current site.

This news only makes me even more convinced that Newcastle United needs a new 80,000+ seater stadium ASAP.

We are repeatedly told that the Newcastle United owners and senior staff are looking at/waiting for feasibility plans on expanding St James’ Park and/or a brand new stadium.

This just doesn’t ring true at all.

For anybody to believe that 34 months after buying the club, the Newcastle United owners are still waiting to hear what is feasible… is beyond belief.

I am totally convinced that by the time they started some five years ago the process of trying to buy Newcastle United from Mike Ashley, the then-prospective Newcastle United owners would have already known all the possibilities regarding extending St James’ Park and or building a brand new stadium on a different site.

To claim that they still don’t know what is and isn’t possible isn’t credible.

This is the Saudi Arabia PIF and the financial power they wield in terms of able to pay for the best possible advice and quickly!

Then their junior partners the Reuben family, one of the very richest families in the UK and their £25bn fortune mostly built on construction and property development projects, not least in Newcastle Upon Tyne and the region in general. At this moment in time, it feels like half of the city centre is getting redeveloped by the Reubens! Which is of course separate to what is happening with the football club.

You would need to be naive in the extreme if you believed that between them, they are still waiting for answers on St James’ Park.

My belief is that they have no intention whatsoever of redeveloping St James’ Park. To add only around 8,000 seats would cost a relative fortune and cause massive disruption.

My only hope is that whilst nothing has been made public, the Newcastle United owners have been secretly making big strides on plans to deliver a brand new 80,000+ seater stadium.

The Manchester United news today is just another push as to why we need a massive new stadium, that is if we want Newcastle United to have any chance of competing long-term AND for tens of thousands more fans able to see their team each home match.

I can’t comprehend how anybody can’t see the need for a much larger capacity and the belief that the fans couldn’t fill it.

Newcastle United fans filled a 52,000+ capacity St James’ Park across 23 home matches in the Championship and that was when Mike Ashley was still here, fans filled the stadium in that second-tier campaign simply because Rafa Benitez gave us a little bit of hope by staying.

Trying to get tickets match by match as members is nearly impossible on any kind of significant basis. I was just counting up earlier and of eight members I know who applied (for a number of tickets each in their application) for Southampton, only one was successful in the ballot.

Imagine if we were ever even reasonably successful???

How can any Newcastle United fan write off the hopes of the fans of the future ever getting to watch their team, unless they have family and friend connections who currently have season tickets?

As for the Newcastle United owners, for absolutely sure they must know they need a massive new stadium to compete. To get far more normal fans in, as well as new increased capacity purpose built state of the art hospitality facilities, that meet modern expectations.

We all know that the self-appointed six-club elite are already a massive distance ahead of Newcastle United financially and to close that, we need massive advance at NUFC. Success on the pitch AND successful moves off it.

Tottenham’s new stadium was a game-changer for them, without it there is no way they could have hoped to compete in the future. You can also say that with Arsenal and their Emirates stadium built years earlier. Plus those two have the added bonus of being based in London and charging London prices for hospitality and normal seats. Chelsea is the same in terms of London-based but they and Man City getting rich owners piling ridiculous money in before the rules suddenly changed when Newcastle United came on the scene. Liverpool have massively expanded their stadium and were already miles ahead of Liverpool, especially with finances.

All of the above happening at other clubs whilst Newcastle United had a wasted decade and a half of Mike Ashley doing anything but build for the long-term, well, apart from his personal bank balance!

I find it amazing that some fans who say we need to stay at St James’ Park no matter what the limitations on expanding capacity, are then also often the same ones kicking off because Newcastle United aren’t making numerous expensive signings. The desperate need to seriously grow the club revenues has been massively highlighted by the PSR shortfall that forced the £68m combined sales of young talent Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson only last month.

The only way to ever properly compete with those who have enjoyed such a march on us, is to grow the Newcastle United revenues to a serious degree. A new 80,000+ seater stadium is key to this, in my opinion.

I have always seen Newcastle United as a club that can be a bit of a one-off, a Bundesliga/Premier League hybrid.

Take advantage of the kind of revenues that pour into the Premier League BUT also have the passion and numbers of fans that a club such as Borussia Dortmund get, they averaged 81,305 at home last season.

I don’t think an out of town new stadium is the answer and instead, like others have put forward, I am sure that with everybody (club, fans, council, the freemen, local businesses, local population in general) pushing together, a brand new 80,000+ stadium can be built just hundreds of yards north of St James’ Park, taking in part of Leazes Park and/or Castle Leazes.

I think the case would be overwhelming for such a massive new stadium to overcome any objections, in terms of for the overall good of the city/region, not just Newcastle United and the fanbase. Anybody living near Leazes Park/Castle Leazes made the conscious decision to live within hundreds of yards of Newcastle United and it would simply be a case of that gap closing for some.

The Athletic report on Manchester United now planning a new 100,000 seater stadium – 29 July 2024:

‘Manchester United working on plans to build new 100,000-seater stadium at Old Trafford

Manchester United will aim to build a 100,000-seater stadium should the club press ahead with plans to move to a new Old Trafford.

The six-figure capacity is seen as a realistic number designed to future-proof the ground given high demand for tickets.

The joint task force set up to explore options for Old Trafford has assessed redevelopment but is currently focusing attentions on what a new build might look like and how it could be financed, having concluded — initially at this stage — that is the best way to transform the fan experience.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s preference is also for a stadium built from scratch, rather than renovation, and United believe doing so on land owned by the club adjacent to the current ground is feasible, meaning the team could continue to play at Old Trafford through the construction work.

A crucial question to answer remains on financing. All possibilities are being considered, including Ratcliffe providing funding, naming rights for sponsorship, and the club borrowing money, albeit United are aware of the toxicity around debt after years of Glazer ownership.

There will be community engagement too on a project that United believe can regenerate the wider area.

United figures including chief executive Omar Berrada and chief operating officer Collette Roche, who is on the task force and has been leading on stadium plans for the last two years, are in Los Angeles and getting a firsthand view of how a new stadium can provide the catalyst for further development.