Are Utd’s figures pure Theatre?

IT WASN’T just the big top design and Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s comparison’s with the Eiffel Tower that raised eyebrows when Manchester United revealed their latest plans for a new £2billion stadium to replace Old Trafford this week.

- By Frank Dallares

The benefits forecast for the project, which include the wider regeneration of the area, also set tongues wagging: 92,000 new homes, 17,000 jobs and — most conspicuously — an additional £7.3bn contributed to the economy every year.

For comparison, that is roughly the same as the UK music industry’s portion of GDP in 2023. It is no coincidence that Manchester United co-owner Ratcliffe has publicly called on the government to offer public funding for the project, and such enormous figures should be seen as a carrot for the Exchequer. But are they in any way realistic?