Jim Ratcliffe’s stadium claims would be an embarrassment for Everton’s Bramley-Moore Dock build

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Whilst Everton’s ongoing appeal and takeover have been in the news, there has been another footballing story that has instead dominated.

Jim Ratcliffe, who boasts a reported £29.7bn fortune, finally saw his 25% stake in Manchester United confirmed by the Premier League.

However, it was his comments following truly really captured attention, with some controversial opinions on how he plans to take the club back to the top.

Some of which might actually end up making a mockery of the Toffees’ Bramley-Moore Dock stadium construction.

What Jim Ratcliffe said about a new Manchester United stadium?

Speaking about the prospect of building a new super stadium to prop up the north of England, his plans were clear.

Ratcliffe told the BBC: ‘There is quite a big argument, in my view, for regenerating that whole south side of Manchester. The nucleus of it would be building a new world-class state-of-the-art stadium which could take England games, the FA Cup final, Champions League finals. It could serve the north of England.

‘There is a bias in the UK in terms of where national stadiums have been built – they are all in the south. There is a lot of talk about levelling up. HS2 has been cancelled and all that is going to be spent on the rail network in London. The people in the north pay their taxes just as the people in the south.

‘Why shouldn’t there be a venue in the north of England for England to play at? Why does everyone in the north have to go to the south for the semi-finals of the FA Cup?’

How does this relate to Everton’s Bramley-Moore Dock stadium?

Well, for one, Everton have not used taxpayers’ money to construct their new stadium.

Ironically enough, it is this decision that has led to their ten-point deduction, with the bulk of the proposed £19m overspend that resulted in that sanction coming from interest on stadium loans.

Had the Toffees instead opted to funnel the money out of everyday people’s purses, they would not be in this mess.

Instead, they are being punished for trying to stand on their own two feet and be sustainable. Yet they were found in breach of profit and sustainability rules.

Farhad Moshiri has done a lot wrong during his many years as owner of the Grand Old Team, but building the new stadium is not one of them.

And yet, whilst one of the Premier League’s richest new faces seeks to use taxpayer money instead of his own sprawling fortune, Everton could be left hamstrung. It would make a mockery out of all their hard work in pushing through and completing this stadium.