Region will score with £750m World Cup boost
HOSTING World Cup games in the North West will bring huge economic benefits and provide a lasting legacy to the region far beyond the tournament in 2018.
A workshop at the Soccerex football forum in Manchester was told that in UK terms the impact of winning the 2018 bid would generate at least £3.2bn – and between £500m and £750m in the North West.
Liverpool and Manchester have been chosen as host cities if world governing body FIFA picks England when it makes its final decision on December 2.
Peter Mearns, executive director of marketing at the North West Development Agency said football was central “the region’s economy and sense of identity” with eight Premier League clubs, 20 professional teams generating £830m in 2008-09 and employing more than 3,000 full time staff.
He underlined too the region’s sport business credentials, with 8,500 companies in the sector employing 100,000 people and contributing £1.9bn to the North West’s GVA.
“Bringing the World Cup to the North West would be brilliant – it would give us the opportunity to welcome the world and create a long lasting legacy.”
Sir Howard Bernstein, chief executive of Manchester City Council, said a key part of the city’s regeneration strategy had been set around sport and reviving East Manchester through a “creative partnership” with the private sector.
He said: “We saw with the Commonwealth Games in 2002 what successful sport events can do a city and for a place.
“In Manchester now we have two fantastic stadia and we’ve invested heavily in creating a critical mass of sporting facilities.
Sir Howard said Manchester and Barcelona were the best examples of cities using “world class sport to create a platform for growth and development.”
