Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ambitious plans for Old Trafford get a huge boost from the council – Man United News And Transfer News

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The decades of Old Trafford being treated like an ignored child are finally over after Sir Jim Ratcliffe announced his ambitious plans for the stadium.

His claim of making it the “Wembley of the North” was widely praised but as with any undertaking of this magnitude, administrative support was crucial.

He looks to have received it, as per a recent report from BBC.

BBC reports that Liz Patel, Trafford Council’s councillor, has welcomed Sir Jim’s ambitious plans for the stadium as part of a larger initiative.

It was recently reported that there are plans for a complete regeneration of the area around Old Trafford in a bid to make it more attractive on matchdays and otherwise too.

Sir Jim and the stadium have been at the front and centre of that debate with the lethargic attitude of the Glazers being replaced by the dynamic leadership of INEOS.

Liz Patel said on Sir Jim’s plans: “That is great ambition from Jim Ratcliffe and these plans match that in terms of the setting and the future of the area.”

However, Patel was quick to pour cold water on any prospective plans of crowdfunding the new stadium in any capacity.

She stressed that the funds for the project of stadium renovation would be up to United as to how they go about getting it.

Still, work alongside United’s planning team is underway to make Old Trafford and the area around it a must-see destination of its own.

She said: “We want to create a much more family-friendly space where people want to stay longer and have processional routes so it’s a lot safer for fans arriving on foot from tram stops or walking out from the city centre – as sometimes happens in European matches.”

It is a long-term project, especially the area regeneration, but the wheels have been set in motion which is more than what could be said for the last 19 years under the Glazers.