Ratcliffe's Man Utd stadium plan SLAMMED by former City boss

Stuart Telford

• 14 Mar 2024 16:14 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham suggested the public purse, and not Sir Jim Ratcliffe, could fund Manchester United's new stadium - much to the chagrin of former City chairman David Bernstein.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe was named as the UK's richest man in 2018 and now has an estimated net worth of £29.688 billion - putting the £1.3bn he spent on a 27.7 per cent share in United into some perspective.

The INEOS chief has been handed 'sporting control' by the Glazer family, and part of his remit is to improve the club's position off the field as much as on it.

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The Red Devils are without a Premier League title since Sir Alex Ferguson's last in 2013, but their Old Trafford home is visibly crumbling, and significant rejuvenation, if not a whole new stadium, is required.

— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) August 8, 2022

City 'had no income at all!'

City Mayor Burnham recently stated that the tax payer could contribute to any regeneration of the surrounding area, citing the train station in Old Trafford's South stand as an example of public property, but Bernstein isn't having it.

"We'll put it this way: If there is any case, it definitely can't be based upon the Manchester City precedent, because we had no income at all to speak of," Bernstein, who helped pull City up from the third division to the Premier League, told City AM.

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"Manchester United and the Premier League are awash with money. It's a totally different situation. Whether in spite of that, the powers that be will look upon help, I don't know.

"But I would think it would not be very popular across the country when we are so short of funds for health, education. I don't think, personally, it would go down very well."

Burnham and Bernstein both think Manchester is now another Milan in that they are the only cities in Europe with two Champions League winners, but that appears to be where their agreement ends.