SINCE the first Super League Grand Final of 1998, the showpiece event has been held at Old Trafford – with the exception, of course, of the 2020 final when St Helens and Wigan Warriors did battle at Hull FC’s MKM Stadium.
Now, Manchester United’s new owner Jim Ratcliffe, whose £1.03 billion deal for almost 30 per cent stake in the club is set to be approved in the next two weeks, is keen to build a ‘Wembley of the North’.
That’s according to The Telegraph which has reported that a new build is possible, with an expansion to the current Old Trafford costing over £800 million or a new ground costing approximately between £1.5 billion and £2 billion.
The publication has also reported that Ratcliffe has begun talks with the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, as well as Trafford Council chiefs and other civic officials over Old Trafford’s future whilst exploring financial options for the stadium.
Of course, recently, Old Trafford has come under fire for its dilapidating nature and calls among the rugby league fraternity to change the Grand Final venue have gained pace in recent years.
The Premier League side have been very keen to keep the Grand Final at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’, but RL Commercial’s Managing Director, Rhodri Jones, previously revealed that other venues have now come into the conversation about potentially taking that mantle.
“We have a long-standing relationship with Old Trafford and Manchester United who have been excellent partners for however many years,” Jones told League Express.
“They are very keen to keep us and see us as a partner of the club. I think we are the only non-football event that they will ever have – they have made that decision.
“In terms of Old Trafford in its current state, there is an option to go there but this opportunity to speak to the market, why wouldn’t we do that to see what other interest there is?
“The conversation is ongoing with Manchester United, they are very keen to keep us, but there is also potential in the North East, London and others. It would be remiss of us to not go and speak to them.”
With a new ‘Wembley of the North’ being talked about, however, could that yield a potential home for the Grand Final for the long-term future?
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