United Plans Giant Upgrade, Looks Over at City’s Homework…
Manchester United’s wannabe space station of a stadium has fans buzzing more than a bee at a flower show this week. Sir Jim Ratcliffe unveiled sketches for an extravagant 100,000-seater stadium – think Death Star, but with pies and pints – set to scoot next door to the historic Old Trafford grounds. While cost remains a hairy question, the designs will surely put Old Trafford on the glitter map.
United may want to peek across town at Man City, who have been flaunting their Etihad Stadium makeover like a peacock in a parrot party. Born as an athletics venue for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, it’s now a football coliseum that’s constantly adding more seats than a Black Friday sale on deck chairs. While the Etihad nibble cost around £150m, United’s proposed palace may dent wallets to the tune of £2bn, so they’re set to fund it from piggy banks rather than public coffers this time.
City didn’t stop at the stadium—no, they went and built a football utopia flaunting academies, mega hotels, and more. They’ve built an entertainment district worthy of a Netflix drama, with costs spiraling faster than a cat on catnip. As United’s owners finger-paint their dreams, City’s tale is a masterclass in patience, persistence, and pondering upon the art of not biting off more than you can chew.
