Major offers to intervene for the new Manchester stadium purchase

Manchester United, the way we now it, was built from scratch by Sir Alex Ferguson. With his fantastic recruitment, ‘iron fist’ and the making of marketing monster called ‘The Premier League’, the Red Devils became one of the biggest clubs in the world and even now when they are far away from that stature (which coincided with Ferguson's retirement in 2012) the brand remains strong. Manchester is still among the clubs with biggest revenue, the players still prefer the Old Trafford even thou the club can’t challenge for the title...and now we see that when Manchester wants to build a new stadium, nothing can stop them, even if the owner doesn’t want to sell his land.

"Jim Ratcliffe, you are not a savior!"

The latest report from the city of Manchester looks like it has come from the middle ages or some communist countries where private property meant nothing. The new 100.000 stadium, already branded ‘Wembley of the North’ would bring an estimated 7.3 billion pounds in economic uplift, 92,000 jobs, and more than 17,000 new homes. So, it’s good for the community. But it would require a new venue and not Old Trafford. That’s fine too, but the problem which arose recently has been the willingness of the owner to sell the land at the price United’s minority owner think its fair. Freightliner, the freight company that owns a critical site beside the ground is demanding around 400 million pounds for it, while Sir Jim Ratcliffe values the land between 40 and 50 million, ten times less!

With family in shambles, they're building the biggest house in the world

United have not yet secured planning permission or formally appointed architects, and have previously acknowledged in recent fan meetings that land acquisition remains a key obstacle. But out of nowhere, Manchester major, of all people, offered to intervene and use compulsory purchase powers "if needed".

"The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has approved the establishment of a mayoral development corporation (MDC) to oversee a masterplan of the area to facilitate some of the land assembly. But there's plenty that can be done if an agreement cannot be reached. MDC has compulsory purchase powers if needed. The real action is only going to get going in the autumn with the MDC" said major Andy Burnham. Astonishing for 21st century United Kingdom.