- Sir Jim Ratcliffe has once again delivered a brutal verdict on United’s facilities
- United’s co-owner has claimed the Red Devils club museum is ‘c**p’
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe has blasted the state of Manchester United’s museum and club shop as he delivered a cruel verdict on their current facilities.
Ratcliffe officially became co-owner on Tuesday after INEOS’ 27.7 percent investment in Manchester United was confirmed by the club, with the British billionaire taking over the football operations as part of the deal.
Earlier this month, Mail Sport revealed Ratcliffe’s £2 billion plan to turn Old Trafford into a ‘Wembley of the North’, aiming to create an iconic venue to rival England’s 90,000-capacity national stadium in London spectators.
The 71-year-old has outlined his vision to transform the club from top to bottom and it clearly extends beyond the pitch, as he commented on the club’s other facilities.
According to The timesRatcliffe branded United’s museum a ‘c**p’ before claiming the club shop was ‘too small’ for their size.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has invaded the current state of Man United’s museum and club shop
The United megastore was officially opened by Sir Alex Ferguson in December 1994
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The United megastore was officially opened by former manager Sir Alex Ferguson in December 1994 and has rarely been updated.
In the same interview, Ratcliffe admitted he has made mistakes at his previous clubs but remains determined not to repeat them. He said: ‘We’ve made some really stupid decisions at both clubs.
“We made mistakes in football, so I’m very happy we made those mistakes before we got here. If we hadn’t done that, this would be a much tougher job for us. Because it’s huge and very visible.’
On Wednesday, Ratcliffe admitted that Old Trafford has become ‘tired and in need of refurbishment’ as he set out his desire to create a national stadium in the north of England.
Renovating the existing 74,000-seat stadium, which opened in 1910, would likely prove to be a short-term measure and would cost around £800 million. Meanwhile, a new build could cost anywhere between £1 billion and £2 billion.
Ratcliffe confirmed his plan Wednesday during his first broadcast interview since becoming co-owner BBC: ‘It’s time someone built a national stadium in the north of England.’
The billionaire added that his ‘preference’ is to use taxpayers’ money to fund the project, describing the new stadium as a catalyst for regeneration in south Manchester.
“If it can be accomplished (with taxpayer dollars), that would clearly be my preference,” he said. ‘I would be very excited about the north of England. Trafford Park is where the Industrial Revolution began. If you look at that area of Manchester today – just a mile from the center – it is tired and neglected and parts are quite run down.”
Ratcliffe insisted the club shop was ‘too small’ for United’s status
Ratcliffe has also previously criticized United’s ‘outdated’ structure, claiming a culture was ‘missing’
Ratcliffe has also criticized Manchester United’s ‘outdated’ structure and claimed a culture was ‘missing’ as he unveiled his plans to revolutionize world football’s former juggernaut.
He and INEOS have already made it clear that major structural changes will be implemented behind the scenes.
Omar Berrada will take over as CEO after being poached from rivals Manchester City, while talks are underway to bring in Newcastle United’s Dan Ashworth as sporting director.
Newcastle confirmed this week that Ashworth has been placed on gardening leave as the two clubs negotiate compensation payments – a decision Ratcliffe condemned as ‘absurd’.