Major UEFA sporting event to be hosted in Birmingham predicted to bring huge cash and ‘morale’ boost
Birmingham being a host city in an upcoming major sporting event is set to provide a ‘morale boost’ and ‘help tackle inequalities’.
UEFA Euro 2028 was officially launched last week, with celebration events being held across the UK and Ireland – including in Birmingham.
The match schedule for the tournament was announced on Thursday, with games to be held in nine “world-class” stadiums across eight host cities.
Brum is set to welcome fans for four matches at Villa Park, where proposals to expand the North Stand are planned for ahead of the event.
At a launch event at the Library of Birmingham, there was huge optimism that the event could leave a lasting legacy for the city, which has recently been rocked by a financial crisis within the Labour-run council and an ongoing bins strike.
Councillor Mariam Khan said local Brummies, including those from more deprived areas, would feel the benefits from their city hosting the tournament.
“We’re expecting to have around £117m of economic impact coming into the city, whether that’s through jobs, skills or growth that benefits local businesses,” Coun Khan, the cabinet member for health, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
“I think all of those things combined is something we’re really excited about, as well as that social impact […] in terms of us being on that world stage once again, like we saw in the Commonwealth Games.”
Asked about how important it is for Birmingham’s reputation to host such events amid recent turmoil, she said: “It helps the people of Birmingham have that boost of morale and give us a reason to be proud of the city.
“I think we don’t do enough to shout about how brilliant the city is – whether you live or work in Birmingham, there’s a lot it has to offer.
“It’s usually from large-scale events like this that we’re able to showcase that to visitors.”
Coun Khan went on to acknowledge that Birmingham has experienced some of its “trickier years” recently.
“At a time like this when we’ve got a massive tournament, [it’s about] making sure that our communities feel that sense of pride,” she said.
“This isn’t just a summer of football,” Labour council leader John Cotton added. “It’s about creating lasting benefits for our city way beyond the pitch.”
‘This tournament is for everybody’
Coun Khan was also asked whether the city’s deprived communities would feel the benefits of the enormous cash boost the tournament is set to bring.
“There’s going to be a very large community programme as part of Euro 2028 and I’m really looking forward to how that can be developed,” she said.
“That’s going to be delivered through key local stakeholders and we’ll make sure local communities are part of those conversations in terms of seeing where those benefits should come.
“Making sure our deprived areas don’t get left behind is absolutely critical to that. This tournament is for everybody.”
Guy Rippon, Head of Foundation and Community at Aston Villa Foundation, meanwhile told the LDRS that the “eyes of Europe and the world” would be on Brum during the tournament.
“It’s a really good opportunity to showcase what we’re all about as a city,” he said.
“With that comes the economic impact, creation of jobs, volunteering opportunities – there’s a huge amount of benefit for Birmingham.
“From a club perspective, obviously a lot of money is going into developing the infrastructure of the stadium.”
Mr Rippon continued that the money and investment coming in from the tournament “can only be a good thing for the city”.
“Naturally where Villa Park is located we’ve got some areas that have got some of the highest inequalities in the country,” he said.
“For there to be additional footfall and investment in those areas is fantastic.”
Luke Bowles, head of football development at Birmingham County Football Association, added that he wanted to see some of the “significant investment” channelled into supporting grassroots football in the region.
“A key focus of ours is lower socio-economic groups and ensuring we’re providing football activities that’s right for them on their terms,” he said.
“Hopefully off the back of this tournament we’ll be able to evolve what we’re already doing to make sure everybody has the opportunity to play.”
