Champions Trophy set to banish 2016 misery for Edgbaston

Warwickshire County Cricket Club is determined to put a challenging 2016 behind it and focus on what promises to be a much stronger 2017.

Despite hosting a Test Match against Pakistan, a one day international against Sri Lanka and the T20 Blast Finals day – as well as tasting domestic success by winning the Royal London limited overs competition – the club still managed to record a £1.84m loss.

The club is reliant on its major match days to generate revenue, but while the international games were a success on the field, the financials made tough comparisons against 2015 when the ground staged a successful Ashes Test – albeit one that was over in three days.

However, 2017 promises to be a much better proposition, as the club prepares for not just the inaugural day/night Test Match in England, but also being a host venue for the ICC Champions Trophy.

The tournament will see cricket’s top eight ranked international teams contest the trophy between June 1-18. 
Warwickshire has high expectations for the event – and it isn’t the only one.

A study by Marketing Birmingham’s Regional Observatory has concluded the city’s visitor economy could benefit to the tune of £25.3m from the tournament.

The signs are already good.

Tickets for the flagship games at Edgbaston – the club shares hosting duties with The Oval and Cardiff – are already in high demand.

The Birmingham stadium will host five matches in total – four matches in the group stages and the tournament’s second semi-final.

The group matches include England v Australia and India v Pakistan; and tickets for these games are already six times over-subscribed.

There are tickets still available for the Australia v New Zealand and Pakistan v South Africa group games, both of which are enticing propositions for cricket fans, but these too are selling fast.

And the corporate hospitality packages – so important for any club – are also sold out.

“We’re very excited about the tournament – and it looks like we’re not the only ones,” said Warwickshire chief executive Neil Snowball.

“The Champions Trophy is one of cricket’s showpiece tournaments and we’re delighted to be hosting games for the second tournament in succession to be staged in England.

“What we want to do is to create a real buzz around the tournament and get the whole of the city involved.

“We would like to see the tournament promoted in the city, like we did with the Rugby World Cup in 2015 when there were games staged at Villa Park. There were banners all over the city and it really put Birmingham in a good light.”

It will get the chance to begin early, when the tournament trophy (left) goes on a tour of Birmingham and the wider area between May 13-17.

It is keen to get as many youngsters involved as possible and schools-based promotions feature heavily in the tournament’s marketing plan.

The club has already taken a leaf out of the 2012 London Olympics and is recruiting hundreds of volunteers – dubbed Cricketeers – to help steward the tournament and act as ambassadors not just for Edgbaston but for the city in general.

“We’ve had a lot of interest in this – we’ve even had one person come down from Durham because they want to be a part of it,” added Mr Snowball.

The chief executive is a strong advocate of sport as a wealth generator for its communities, and he should know what he’s talking about having been both the former head of sport for the London Organising Committee of the 2012 Olympic Games and operations director for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

He is also an advocate of collaborative working and to that end, has already held talks with both Marketing Birmingham and Birmingham Airport about maximising opportunities to boost revenue.

“We are encouraging all the teams taking part in the Champions Trophy to use Birmingham Airport as their arrival hub, that way we get the opportunity to begin promoting the area from the moment they land,” he said.

“We are also hopeful that those coming to watch the games at Edgbaston will extend their stay in the city; that offers the potential to generate many more millions for the visitor economy.”

Birmingham is no stranger to the benefits of major sporting tournaments.

When the city hosted football matches in the 1996 European Championship, there was a real carnival atmosphere with fans congregating in public areas around centenary square to celebrate.

Prior to the 2012 Olympics, the city was adopted by the USA track and field team, which chose to use Birmingham as its training base. So impressed with the hospitality shown to them, the team has agreed to the same arrangements ahead of this year’s World Athletics Championships in London.

The University of Birmingham was also selected as Olympic training base for the Jamaican team ahead of the 2012 Games and it is in talks to host the team again this year.

Looking ahead, Edgbaston has also thrown its weight behind Birmingham’s bid to stage the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The ground could well be one of the host venues should the bid be successful – there is even the possibility that by then the Games could feature a T20-style event such is the growing popularity of the short-format game.

“The unprecedented investment in the region, including Birmingham New Street Station, the Midlands Metro network and of course HS2, will provide an infrastructure that will enable us to be great hosts to the thousands of athletes, officials and spectators attending the Games,” said Mr Snowball.

“We also have some of the most famous sporting venues and arenas in the country, and everyone at Edgbaston is very excited to support the campaign to bring the Games to Birmingham.”

Cllr Ian Ward, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “Given Warwickshire County Cricket Club’s status as one of the leading teams in cricket, it is fantastic to have the support of the Bears as we look to shape our bid for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

“Edgbaston has a record that is second to none when it comes to staging major matches – so when Warwickshire County Cricket Club come out in support of something like this, it is a major boost for the city’s hopes. The club have always been a great partner in the city and would undoubtedly have a key part to play if the games come to Birmingham.”

Steve Hollis, chair of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP – and the former chairman of Aston Villa ahead of its sale last year, said: “Greater Birmingham is perfectly poised to welcome the thousands of sports fans and athletes for the Commonwealth Games in 2026, so we are delighted to see this level of support from Warwickshire County Cricket Club.

“We are one of the most connected regions in the world with unrivalled transport links, accommodation and world-class venues such as the Edgbaston Stadium. Unlike other cities considering bidding, we already have significant infrastructure in place and HS2 is also set to be operational from 2026.

“The Commonwealth Games is an incredible opportunity to showcase the Midlands region. The Games will not only attract interest in the region and contribute significantly to the local economy, but will also provide legacy investment opportunities.”