In October 2023, Manchester United unveiled a new £10m women's training facility at the club's Carrington training ground.
The development work came just a few months before Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS purchased a 27.7% stake in the club, but was a timely boost to the women's team, which had been forced to contend with sub-standard training facilities for several years.
Carrington Training Ground criticism
The investment also came after major criticism of the women's training facilities at Carrington. When former manager Casey Stoney left the club in 2021, it was suggested that the poor facilities for her players were one of the reasons for her departure.
That would have been fair. United Women – who were re-founded in 2018, promoted to the Women's Super League in 2019 and finished second in 2023 – were having to train in temporary buildings and a marquee.
Women's team have new £7m building at Manchester United training ground
Thankfully, that setup is no more. The £7m training facility looks fantastic. It includes a gym, rehabilitation areas, changing rooms, kit and boot rooms, a restaurant, analysis and meeting rooms and a players' lounge. The experience for United's female players has immediately improved.
Construction on the Carrington redevelopment began in February 2023, and United Women moved into the building at the start of the 2023/24 season, with only a few minor things left to complete.
“A high-performance environment”
Polly Bancroft, who joined United as Head of Women's Football in 2022, said of the development: “We now have a high-performance environment to operate in which will help take the team to the next level following the impressive performances we have seen on the pitch.”
“It is also important,” she continued, “for the girls academy sides to see the players they admire having access to high-quality facilities to help them reach the highest level.”
Could Man Utd leave Carrington?
While the development of the women's facilities at Carrington was a long time coming, there was a point when it looked like it could all have been for nothing. Shortly after INEOS purchased its stake in the club, it began scouting out new land in Greater Manchester to build a new state-of-the-art training facility.
Those plans have seemingly now been shelved as the club have elected to redevelop Carrington instead. Work has started to modernise the men's first team building Carrington, with the club determined to create a ‘high-performance collaborative environment'.
The total cost of the project is around £50m, and it will take the entirety of the 2024/25 season to complete. All areas, from the gym and recovery areas to medical facilities, are being revamped, but it won't happen without causing disruption to the women's and academy teams.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe criticised for ignoring the women's team
Following the recent redevelopment of the Carrington training complex, particularly with the Manchester United Women's team not being prioritised in the plans, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has faced sharp criticism.
Former Manchester United Women's midfielder Katie Zelem expressed strong discontent with Ratcliff's position on the women's team's situation. Reflecting on her six years at Carrington, Zelem noted that she felt the club did not take the Manchester United Women's team seriously. She mentioned issues such as being moved out of facilities and struggling to find adequate playing grounds. Now playing for Angel City in Los Angeles, USA, Zelem emphasised that the women's team was never given the priority it deserves.
In a recent interview, Manchester United co-owner Ratcliffe made a concerning statement, particularly regarding the women's team. The British billionaire mentioned that the club has not looked into modernising facilities for the women's team, as the current focus is on the men's team.
Before Ratcliffe's partial takeover of Manchester United, Manchester United Women had a difficult 2023/24 season, finishing fifth in the Women's Super League, marking their worst-ever finish in the division.
Carrington redevelopment controversy
Due to the ongoing work at Carrington, the men's first team will use the women's new training facilities for the 2023/24 season.
As a result, the women's team is being forced to use portable cabins for meetings and dressing rooms when scheduling conflicts with the men's team.
For a couple of weeks this summer, they are also being forced to train at St Georges Park which is more than 60 miles away from Carrington. As a result, INEOS have come under fire for their treatment of the women's team.
When will the new Carrington building be ready?
As per Manchester Evening News, Man United are hopeful that the refurbished main building at Carrington will be ready for Ruben Amorim's squad before the start of the 2025/26 campaign.
Ideally, the contractors will complete the £50m redevelopment before the squad returns for pre-season in July, or at least by the end of that month when the team are in the USA for a pre-season tour.
Architecture firm, Foster + Partners are in charge of the Carrington refurbishment, as well as the plans for the New Trafford Stadium. They have designed a new 100,00 seater venue, with the aim to build and open it in time for the 2030-31 campaign.
However, one of the driving forces behind the work at the Carrington training complex, David Harrison, is set to leave the club. In May 2025, the Daily Mail reported that the director of football operations, Harrison, was informed he would need to leave his role. Harrison is departing along with the club's director of football insights and innovations, Richard Hawkins.
Pictures of Carrington redevelopment
Manchester United released several pictures of the new women's first-team training facility on Wednesday, October 18, 2023. A couple are displayed below.
Pictures via Manchester United FC official gallery, available to view on ManUtd.com and the United app.