Euro 2022: The day Rotherham reminded me of Rotterdam - Greg Wright

The fact that Rotherham’s New York Stadium had won the right to stage matches - including a quarter final - as part of the Women’s Euros must have filled locals with civic pride.

For a few days, the town was the talk of women’s European football.

Last Saturday night, France and the Netherlands, two of the best women’s sides on the planet, faced each other across a stretch of Yorkshire turf as they battled to win a place in the semi-finals.

In the hours leading up to kick off, thousands of fans mingled happily in the heart of Rotherham, which was a town transformed. Anyone driving into the town centre would have passed through districts which had witnessed bitter public strife.

The Battle of Orgreave, one of the most violent clashes in British industrial history, took place within the borough during the miners’ strike of 1984.

But as the fan parade wound its way to the stadium, there was no tension or traces of factional hatred. This was a celebration of the glorious unifying power of sport and Rotherham’s architectural delights emerged, for a few hours at least, from the shade.

Any investor in an orange wig would have been impressed by the old buildings which had survived the ravages of 20th century town planning and now seem ripe for rebirth. All it requires is courage and imagination to see the district’s potential.

A vast range of former industrial buildings cling like limpets to South Yorkshire’s riversides, just waiting for a developer with a keen eye and a loving hand.

The success of the New York Stadium - which replaced Millmoor as the home of Rotherham United in 2012 - as a sporting and business base shows what can be achieved.

Apart from hosting the Women’s Euros, the stadium is the perfect setting for a corporate event because it is so close to the beating heart of the region’s manufacturing sector, which is still a vital, if often overlooked, element of Britain’s economy.

But what did locals make of the sudden global attention? There were a number of revellers in Rotherham United kits who were certainly enjoying the carnival atmosphere and probably hope the tournament will return soon.

There’s a strong case for holding more global sporting events there. Rotherham is a perfect location for a tournament of this scale. There seems to be an abundance of cheap - indeed mostly free - parking and it’s easy to navigate around the compact town centre.

The New York Stadium’s setting may remind visitors that the region’s wealth was built around hard graft, but the town’s gaze is on the future as it hopes to attract external investors who display tenacity and patience.

It’s just possible that some of the European visitors who danced in front of the Minster will return to place a stake in the town’s future.

Yorkshire ‘s business people are often far too reticent when it comes to talking about their triumphs.

Humility is an attractive quality, but sometimes it can be harmful to ignore our region’s successes, especially during times of economic upheaval.

That’s why we’re so keen to attract a bumper crop of entries for The Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards for 2022, which is a celebration of the dynamic companies of all shapes and sizes who are bringing jobs and investment to our region.

Sponsorship for the 2022 celebration comes from Sovereign Health Care, Openreach, Endless, Nexus and Fido Money, with a supporting package from Ison Harrison.

So what are you waiting for? Enter today by visiting https://www.yorkshirebusinessexcellence.co.uk/.

You could share the spotlight with the brightest and best .