Manchester United
- Roche has worked as United’s COO since 2018
- Club announced intention to build 100,000-seater stadium last March
- Further plans for project set to be shared in the next few months
Manchester United are pressing ahead with plans for a new stadium after appointing Collette Roche to a newly created role leading the project.
Roche has been United’s chief operating officer since May 2018 and will now serve as chief executive, new stadium development. The move formalises Roche’s role leading the club’s participation in the Old Trafford Regeneration planning to date and she will report to United’s chief executive Omar Berrada.
“I am incredibly proud to have been asked to lead the new stadium development and continue to work closely with the Mayoral Development Corporation and all our diverse stakeholders,” said Roche.
“Our aspiration is to create the best stadium in the world for the best team and fanbase in sport – guided by fans’ input throughout the design and development process. We are committed to taking a consultative approach, ensuring our plans are shaped by fans every step of the way.”
Berrada added: “Collette has done a fantastic job leading the club’s work to develop our ambition to build a new 100,000-seater stadium as part of the wider Old Trafford Regeneration.
“As we start to accelerate our plans, we are delighted that Collette will now be totally focused on working to deliver this hugely important project.”
Roche steps into the role following last week’s official launch of the Old Trafford Regeneration Mayoral Development Corporation (OTR MDC), which has been set up by Trafford Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority to enable the delivery of the new stadium project.
United unveiled plans for a new 100,000-seater stadium last March, which is the centrepiece of the regeneration of the 370-acre Old Trafford area. The Premier League giants estimate that the project will deliver more than 15,000 new homes, create 90,000 jobs and add over UK£7 billion (US$9.6 billion) annually to the UK economy.
Roche said last week at the launch of OTR MDC that the ambition was “to create the best matchday atmosphere and experience anywhere in world football, while ensuring the stadium acts as a catalyst for a vibrant new district for fans, residents and visitors.”
OTR MDC is being chaired by World Athletics president Lord Sebastian Coe and also has the backing of Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester.
Coe has said the group will share the project’s multibillion-pound masterplan “over the next few months”. United had initially anticipated being able to move into their new stadium in time for the 2030/31 season.
The club’s minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe had suggested that work on the project could get under way by the end of last year. Although that target has now been missed, Roche told BBC Sport in December that a lot was happening behind the scenes.
“Where we are going to put the stadium is a really big decision,” she said.
“Hopefully, the stadium will be here for more than 100 years so apologies if it’s taking a bit of time, but we want to get that decision right.
“We are really ambitious and want it to happen. It’s going to take a lot more than just me being confident but based on the recent conversations we’ve had, the support we’re getting from the local authority and also from our board, there’s a real desire for this project to get off the ground.”
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