BOLD TRAFFORD
Iconic. Ambitious. Exciting. Spine-tingling. All these adjectives and more greeted Tuesday morning’s announcement that Manchester United will build a 100,000-seater stadium to replace Old Trafford, and construct it within a five-year period. Add some context and one has to admire, above all, Big Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s chutzpah. Debts for his petrochemicals empire are forecast to reach almost £10bn this year. The All Blacks are taking legal action against Ineos for exiting a sponsorship deal early. Big Sir Jim has introduced a raft of cost-cutting measures at United, including more than 400 job losses and closure of the staff canteen.
