City’s new owners may have ruffled a lot of feathers since taking over from Thaksin Shinawatra at Eastlands and many have claimed that City are nothing more than a plaything that will be cast aside when they get bored. But there will soon be no doubting that their investment in the blues will not only be good for the club but Manchester as a city.
According to the website Construction Enquirer, the blues have approached Rafael Vinoly, one of the world’s leading architects, to draw up plans in order to build a new £1b sports and leisure complex at Eastlands.
This will include increasing the stadium’s current capacity and new training complex, but will also have a five star hotel, sports and leisure centres, restaurants and bars. The report also states that City chairman Khaldoon Al-Muburak wants to turn east Manchester into a tourist attraction and the development could even include a museum and art gallery.
Such a project would have a huge impact on the area, which will already benefits from the Manchester Cycling Velodrome, which will also incorporate a new indoor BMX track which is already under construction and due for completion in 2011. Should the plans come to fruition, the area would be rejuvenated, creating jobs and bringing additional income to the city.
It has become quite clear that ADUG’s interest doesn’t stop at the blues but also the surrounding area and for that they deserve a huge amount of acclamation. It’s not often overseas investors take over a club and rebuild the area in the process.
In ten years time, when ADUG are still in control at Eastlands and East Manchester is thriving, will there be anyone left who still thought ADUG were the bad guys?
