Old Trafford
The task force has held its final meeting. (Image: 2022 Getty Images)
Manchester United have confirmed the Old Trafford task force have held their final meeting and a decision on whether to revamp or rebuild is expected to be made by summer 2025.
It was announced in March that a task force to regenerate Old Trafford and the land around it had been created and that it would be chaired by the experienced Lord Sebastian Coe. The panel was created to explore all options for Old Trafford but to closely examine the feasibility of a new building and wider regeneration, and they have held several meetings.
The Manchester Evening News reported in July that the end of the year had been earmarked for the task force to conclude their findings, and the final meeting, which was attended by CEO Omar Berrada and COO Collette Roche, is understood to have taken place virtually on Tuesday.
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Berrada and Roche will present a report back to United's ownership in due course and a source has said the project is "complex" and additional feasibility work must take place before the club can make a fully informed decision on a redeveloped Old Trafford or new build stadium.
The task force has provided advice and instruction on the project vision, maximisation of benefits case - including links to wider potential infrastructure changes - and the commissioning of an economic study, as well as stakeholder engagement, consultation, and alignment.
The decision that sets out the direction of travel is expected to come in the summer of 2025 and the task force will continue to support the project throughout the next calendar year.
Lord Coe reacted to the conclusion of the task force and said: "Today, I had the honour of chairing the final meeting of the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force in 2024.
"This marked the conclusion of months of feasibility work to explore ways in which the development of a world-class football stadium can catalyse regeneration of the area around Old Trafford, delivering huge social and economic benefits for the local community, and the wider region.
"This has been a multi-stakeholder process that has collected views from over 50,000 fans, plus residents, community members and businesses. Today we discussed the outcome of this work in the form of an options report with Manchester United, Trafford Borough Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority to help inform their decision-making process.
"At every stage we have challenged all involved to recognise the opportunity that sport presents as a powerful driver for transformational urban regeneration and that is reflected in the report.
"Manchester United will now work together with local authorities to review the findings and agree a path forward in the months ahead."
Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to build a new Old Trafford, to create a "Wembley of the north" and a "stadium that's befitting the club and the brand", which will cost an estimated £2billion.
The 14 members of the Old Trafford task force:
Seb Coe, Chair
Anna Bensky, Director of Major Projects at Peel Land and Property
Tom Bloxham, Chairman of Urban Splash
Eamonn Boylan, CEO of Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Victoria Braddock, Managing Director of Marketing Manchester
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
Duncan Drasdo, CEO of Manchester United Supporters’ Trust
Dan Jones, former Head of Sports Business at Deloitte
Gary Neville, former captain of Manchester United
Tim Newns, Managing Director for Levelling Up at the UK Office for Investment
Malcolm Press, Vice-Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University
Tom Ross, Leader of Trafford Council
Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester
Sara Todd, CEO of Trafford Council