Perhaps you can understand why Ratcliffe is so enthusiastic about this project. It's a safe bet that he's not only a hopeless romantic in the sporting arena, but also a sponsor with the region's best interests at heart. This week, he spoke fondly to the BBC about Trafford Park's extraordinary status as the cradle of the industrial revolution and the coal and cotton it brought to the city near the Manchester Ship Canal. The richest man in Britain made a £30 billion fortune from producing oil and chemicals. He sees himself as a witness to this history and can also capitalize on Manchester's great soccer asset boom of the 21st century.
However, this narrative also raises another discussion. It involves the unanswered question of how much money Ratcliffe intends to contribute to the dream and to what extent the government can cooperate. His ambiguous wording is that he needs to have a "conversation" with the government about this. But is this really necessary? Ratcliffe is perfectly capable of contributing to his dream. He's also a cross-border tax avoider - he's officially changing his tax residence from Hampshire to Monaco in 2020, which is expected to save him around £4 billion in tax bills. In this case, I heard about his proposal.
Of course, this is just a clever negotiating tactic on Ratcliffe's part to get people to see if the government will act. On the face of it, this doesn't seem like a good place to start. After all, before Manchester had a stadium built with taxpayer investment, the city council had already paid a £33 million bill for a venue fit for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and more than 20 years on, although City have been awarded the title, they still only rent the Etihad Stadium from the council. In contrast, United will retain full control of whatever magnificent stadium Ratcliffe decides to build.
Nonetheless, the substance of Ratcliffe's masterplan is to be applauded. Considering the government's recent decision to redirect funding from High Speed 2 to the rehabilitation of London's roads, much of what Ratcliffe emphasizes about the "Wembley of the North" discussion is a paper exercise. He hit the nail on the head when he pointed out that fans in the North are forced to drag their heavy feet to and from Wembley every time Manchester United reach an FA Cup semi-final. Despite United's unrivaled reputation, the area in which they live is still ignored by the country.
However, Ratcliffe knew all this before United's 27.7% stake was finally approved by the Premier League. As a proud United fan and someone who used to live in Fishworth, Manchester, he knew the history of the lack of investment in the north and the decline of Old Trafford. For him, restoring prosperity to the area would be seen as a cause worthy of government funding, just as it was for him when he bought some shares in United. If he wants to create a great environment for United, as well as a club worthy of its legacy and putting the North at the heart of English soccer's influence, then he deserves everyone's support too.
England women's national team manager Sarina Wigman said her team would "love" to play at a new stadium in Manchester, and she also spoke positively of Sir Ratcliffe's efforts to build a "Wembley of the North".
Speaking in Marbella ahead of Thursday's friendly against Austria, Wigman said, "Wembley is so special to us, Wembley is our home and we have great memories there. We do attend a lot of games elsewhere but I really love our home and it's really nice to be able to connect with fans from the north and the south so when they get the chance to come and see us play we can connect with them."
"But it's obviously better to have another big stadium in and around Manchester, we really want to play there. In the meantime, Wembley remains a special presence for us."
Bayern and England midfielder Georgia Stanway responded to Wiegmann's comments, adding:- "Wembley is our home and we have a lot of good memories there. However, it would be great if we could build another stadium further north."
Stanway, who is from Cumbria, added: "I think my parents will be excited about the scheme as it will shorten their journey considerably! But we're happy to play in any stadium. We really enjoy traveling around the country and going to different places to play. For me, Wembley and Brighton have impressed us. So I'd love to make more great memories at other stadiums if I'm allowed to."
On Friday, the England women's soccer team will play a friendly against Austria in the neutral zone of southern Spain. They turn their attention to the Women's Euro 2025, with qualifying matches starting in April.
