Birmingham 2022: Can landmark event create lasting legacy for city, country or Games?

Athletics in particular will now hope it can tap into the enthusiasm that saw capacity crowds at the Alexander Stadium. And organisers of rugby league’s World Cup – to be staged in England later this year – will no doubt be relieved to see that even amid a cost of living crisis, the British public’s love of hosting major sporting events appears undimmed.

In the UK in 2019, pre-Covid, 75 million tickets were sold for sporting events – a rate of 1.15 per capita, which was higher than in any other country.

Matt Rogan, author of ‘All to Play For’, a book examining how legacy can be secured, said: “While Britain bounced back to some extent in a compromised year in 2021, the Women’s Euros and Commonwealth Games have shown us quite how important live sport is to the coherence and confidence of our nation.

“Birmingham is one of the youngest cities in Europe – 46% of residents in Perry Bar where the Alexander Stadium [is] are under the age of 30,” Rogan says. “Sport is a key lever to regenerate our cities for younger generations now that physical shops and offices are less of a draw than they might have been even 10 years ago.

“These Games have been particularly effective as a catalyst to drive activity and social impact. For example, Warwickshire Cricket Club worked for over a year to create a host of new opportunities for women and girls to get involved locally with cricket throughout the county. That’s already paying dividends.”

Beyond sport, local leaders point to the jobs, travel infrastructure, affordable housing and business opportunities that the event generated, with the government suggesting it could be worth hundreds of millions of pounds to the city.

It is worth noting that while London 2012 was a catalyst for the regeneration of the east of the capital, affordable housing targets there have been missed. But while it is hard to quantify the value of any shift in perception of Birmingham as a result of the Games, there are hopes the way this vibrant, diverse and youthful city embraced the event, and the global platform it afforded its rich heritage, culture, music and architecture, will boost tourism, investment and civic pride.

But nothing can be taken for granted either. Speaking at a business forum event this week, West Midlands mayor Andy Street said: “There’s a long way to go from this opportunity we have. So our argument to the government is we now need a coherent plan strategy around what we’re calling ‘Global West Midlands’.

“When the party is over… we will face some big challenges. This winter is going to be very hard for a lot of people. We’ve also got some incredible opportunities. We have to think about that investment piece, that tourism piece, for that opportunity.”