Football and cycling score for regional economy

JUST when I thought it couldn’t get any better, the region scored yet another major success.

Having just come down from cloud nine following Bradford City’s fantastic victory against Arsenal, the announcement that Yorkshire had secured the start of the 2014 Tour de France hit my inbox.

Undoubtedly fantastic news and as Gary Verity, the head of tourism organisation Welcome to Yorkshire which has been the driving force behind the bid, pointed out, a decision that could add more than £100m to the regional economy.

The first two stages of the Tour will begin in Yorkshire and although the exact route of the legs won’t be unveiled until next month, all parts of the region are expected to benefit.

Media coverage of the event, given an even bigger boost after Bradley Wiggins was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year on Sunday, will be huge with the television coverage taken live to around 130 countries.

Tens of thousands of cycling enthusiasts are also expected to converge on Yorkshire, giving hoteliers and those working in the food and drink sector a massive boost.

And that’s not to mention the many advertising opportunities that will be available to promote the region as both a leisure and business destination.

For Bradford, a city for so long in the doldrums, the exposure of the Bantams’ historic quarter-final penalty shoot-out win in the Capital Cup is a great fillip. The club’s executives believe the revenues generated from the two-legged semi-final could top £1m.

And for the city itself, it is some much needed positive PR following several years of negativity over issues such as the delayed Broadway shopping centre and the aftermath of the Bradford Riots.

With Chelsea playing Leeds United later this week in another quarter-final the prospect of a West Yorkshire semi-final remains a distinct lip-licking possibility.

Now we just need one of the teams from Yorkshire playing in the Championship to gain promotion to the promised land of the Barclays Premier League – Hull City look most likely at this moment in time – for the region to gain even more profile and kudos.

There may still be a fair amount of doom and gloom about the economy out there but these sporting successes have undoubtedly given the region a ‘feel good factor’ and renewed sense of optimism as we head into 2013.

And that’s a goal that cannot be underestimated.