Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham addresses risk with City fans over United stadium role

Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham admits he is at risk of alienating City supporters amid his involvement in plans to regenerate Old Trafford.

United confirmed on Friday Burnham is a member of the task force chaired by Lord Sebastian Coe to explore the feasibility of a new-build stadium next to their existing stadium.

Burnham, an Everton fan, addressed journalists in the Old Trafford press conference room before United's 2-0 victory on Saturday and has had a number of meetings with new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe in the last two months.

Aintree-born Burnham attended memorials for Sir Bobby Charlton and the anniversary of the Munich air disaster at Old Trafford in recent months. "There are always risks for me in this scenario," Burnham said. "There are risks as an Evertonian being Greater Manchester Mayor.

"Yes, there are those risks but I have supported City and the city region has supported Manchester City and they have put a lot of funding into East Manchester and that should be recognised.

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"The wider development around the Etihad is unbelievable. You think of the public money that created the stadium in that instance but they have sunk a lot of money into the facilities around that ground. That area is utterly transformed from the place I remember when I was growing up in these parts.

"And we would have exactly the same relationship with Manchester United. Only Milan and Manchester have two Champions League winners in a city and that sets Manchester apart. You could make an argument that this is the biggest city in world football because of the two clubs we have got within it.

"But if the