Football Dynasty

Chapter 93: Inheriting the New Stadium Project

"What happens if we lose the bid for the Commonwealth Games? Would Manchester City Council consider pulling out of the stadium project?" Richard asked.

"Impossible!" John quickly rejected the idea. "First, there are existing agreements already in place between both parties, and pulling out now could result in legal consequences, such as breach of contract or financial penalties."

"But the timeline and readiness are still far off, right? The games will begin in 2002, and we’re still in 1994. There’s still time, right? Like the last bid for the Summer Olympics in 2000, I heard the Council backed off at the last minute, causing the bid to fail. Is that true?"

John understood instantly why Richard asked the question, so he took a moment to clarify.

"It wasn’t that the Council backed out; the deal was never finalized in the first place. The media exaggerated the situation."

He continued, "At that time, when the Lee consortium pushed forward with the bid, there were disputes around long-term commitments, such as maintenance, debt repayments, and revenue sharing, the Lee consortium demanding a Public-Private Partnership with 50:50 ownership with the Council because they feared something like the Hillsborough disaster could happen."

John then shook his head. "That’s why they lost the bid. They were too cautious with the politicians and weren’t prepared enough, especially after the Swales pitch invasion. They knew it was a huge opportunity, but they were also afraid of what might happen later if such a tragedy occurred under their watch."

Richard nodded at this.

PPP scheme, The club can retain full control of the stadium while still getting essential funding and support from the government. _{𝖓𝔬𝔳𝖕𝖚𝖇.𝖈𝔬𝔪}

For example, Lee consortium proposed a deal where the government helps fund the project through grants, subsidies, or tax incentives, while City retains ownership of the stadium. The government could benefit from the stadium being used for public events like concerts, sports events, or community programs, providing a return on investment, while City could retain full control of the stadium without having to spend money on its construction, as public funds would cover the development costs.

This would also reduce the risk for both sides, actually. If something like the feared disaster happened, they wouldn’t need to bear the full risk, as the responsibility would be shared with Manchester City Council, providing them protection from the political side.

"Tell me about the current agreement between the Lee consortium and the Council for the Commonwealth Games. I think I missed some details when I read about it. It’s better to hear it in more detail from someone who’s directly involved, right?"

John nodded, understanding. "As for the current agreement, the Lee consortium eventually backed down. They realized the council wasn’t going to go along with the PPP scheme, so they agreed to a ’fully repairing’ basis instead."

The stadium is owned by Manchester City Council and leased to the football club, Manchester City in this case on a ’fully repairing’ basis. All operating, maintenance, and future capital costs are borne by the club, which consequently receives all revenues from stadium users.

Hosting a major event like the Commonwealth Games is a huge opportunity—not just for the club and the city, but for the entire community. People are counting on it, especially with the potential for sponsorships, tourism, and new partnerships.

The economic turnover would be significant. Losing out twice has already damaged the council’s reputation. If they fail a third time, the local economy could take another hit—and the club may be held accountable for the missed opportunities.

"Who funded the project this time?" Richard asked.

"The construction of the new stadium was funded by Sport England £77 million and Manchester City Council £35 million."

Richard did the math in his head. ’Hmm, so that’s approximately £112 million...’

Seeing Richard was about to do something crazy again, John became wary and warned him, "Even though the timeline and readiness may still be a while, backing out would cause significant disruption and political fallout. You’ve got to consider the tension between the club, the city council, and the broader community."

John actually wanted to cry. Working with Richard and the Lee Consortium, to be honest, was very different. With the Lee Consortium, there wasn’t a mountain of work piling up, probably because they were used to bureaucracy, making the work flow more smoothly.

Working with Richard, however, was a different story. You never knew when, out of nowhere, he would say something completely unexpected, throwing everyone off balance. One minute things were going smoothly, and the next, he would introduce an entirely new idea or change the direction without warning.

It was all part of the unpredictability. Yet, deep down, John also knew he couldn’t back out. He sighed, pushing his doubts aside, and refocused on the task at hand.

Richard, of course, didn’t know this, and even if he did, he wouldn’t care. There was a reason he had never recruited another director in the first place.

The cleanup wasn’t over. It was just that when someone still had value, you better be patient, because you needed to milk the last bit of usefulness first.

Richard dismissed John’s warning and casually asked, "You mentioned before that the current stadium project is competing with Wembley Stadium. Can you tell me more about that?"

"It’s all about where the funding goes. Wembley needs redevelopment because the infrastructure is outdated. After losing the bid for the Summer Olympics, they shifted their focus to the Commonwealth Games. If we win the bid, the funding will go toward our new stadium, but if we lose, the money will likely go toward redeveloping Wembley instead."

Richard closed his eyes, reflecting on what happened to Manchester City during Sheikh Mansour’s acquisition. Given the scale and aggressiveness of the development, the Etihad Stadium was expanded into more than just a football stadium, right?

There was no way the stadium could still be owned by Manchester City Council by then. That could only mean one thing: they bought the stadium outright.

Then how much would it have cost if Sheikh Mansour had bought the Etihad Stadium?

If the current cost is around £112 million, in 2008 then... He quickly calculated the cost in his head, factoring in inflation and development scale.

’Billion...’ he murmured to himself. But something didn’t sit right. ’Wait, no. That can’t be right. What’s missing here?’

John noticed Richard’s silence and couldn’t help but ask, "You’re not thinking about backing out, are you?"

The mere thought of the financial backlash and potential legal consequences made his face drain of color.

Richard shook his head. "Since we still have eight years until the games, could we change the agreement? Would that be possible?"

John raised an eyebrow, trying to anticipate where this was going. In his mind, it was either renegotiating funding terms, offering a reduced scope by scaling down the current design, changing the location, or adding another investor to the deal. But that would cause major delays, as new plans would need to be submitted.

He was about to advise rejecting the idea when Richard beat him to it. "We could adjust the timeline—ask for an extension for planning adjustments."

"What exactly are you planning to do? And how long are you talking about?"

"Hmmm..." Richard pondered for a moment but didn’t elaborate. Instead, he simply asked for a two-year extension. "We can talk about it after that."

John’s eyes widened. "Two years? Impossible. The media will tear us apart. And Wembley will win the bid if we delay by that much."

Richard could only look at John deeply before taking a deep breath. "How big is the land exactly for the new stadium development?" he asked calmly, still composed.

John didn’t answer immediately but checked the documentation before responding. "About 80 acres."

80 acres, or roughly 320,000 square meters, would comfortably accommodate a large stadium along with additional spaces such as parking, training facilities, hospitality areas, and plazas.

Richard’s next question took John by surprise. "And the derelict land in Eastlands—how much is the government offering for private development?"

John furrowed his brow, confused by the sudden shift in direction. He quickly checked the information. "About 200 acres."

Richard was dumbfounded. For 200 acres, the total area would be 800,00 square meters, then.

"What? They’re offering 200 acres to private companies? No one lives there? They wouldn’t just seize it by force, would they?"

"No," John answered, shaking his head. "East Manchester has always been industrial. The area was heavily contaminated, so it’s been designated for non-residential use."

"Contaminated? What do you mean?" Richard reacted, clearly disturbed by the word.

"The site was once home to Clayton Aniline Company, a firm that produced dyestuffs, and also Bradford Colliery coal mine. All of that area was government-approved as non-occupied area, so you can guess why the government wants to let the private sector take care of it."

A dyestuff is a substance used to add color to materials like fabrics, yarns, or even food. Clayton Aniline, however, was primarily used in industries such as textiles and leather. The worst part was the coal mine. No wonder the government gave up on that area.

Richard nodded, understanding now. It made sense, but it also presented a great opportunity for him. "So, can all private companies bid for the land?"

"Yes," John confirmed, still unsure where this was leading. He continued, "Unless you’re very rich or want to develop something like residential properties—townhouses, villas, mansions—or commercial developments like shopping centers, university campuses, or business parks--"

"Say that again?" Richard interrupted, squinting slightly.

"What?"

"The last thing you mentioned—what was it again?"

John looked puzzled. "What? Business parks?"

"No, the one before that."

"Shopping centers?"

"Aish, forget it," Richard waved it off impatiently. Then, after a brief pause, his eyes lit up. He slapped his palm as the realization hit him.

Etihad Campus!

That’s what was missing from the picture.

’No wonder it felt incomplete.’ Richard said, more to himself.

Unfortunately, just as Richard was about to share his idea, the captain’s voice came through the intercom.

"Mr. Maddox, we’ll be landing in approximately five minutes. Please return to your seat and fasten your seatbelt. We’ll be landing shortly."

Richard blinked, realizing how quickly time had passed. His mouth was half open, then he closed it again. He leaned back in his leather seat, brow furrowed.

The idea was still raw—brilliant, yes, but too dangerous to share just yet.

John glanced at him. "You were going to say something."

"I was," Richard replied, rubbing his chin. "But not yet. Not until we land."

---

P.S. Richard wasn’t involved in City’s management during the Swales and Lee eras, as he was focused on his agency and business.

This Chapter is just an introduction, providing an update on how far the stadium project has progressed—and how Richard will continue it. That’s why the Chapter is titled Inheriting the Stadium Project.

You could say that from this point on, Richard will be more involved in Manchester City’s stadium planning, including the future Etihad Campus concept and City’s SportCity development.