Could Yorkshire come to Commonwealth Games' rescue? Alistair Brownlee gives his verdict

The double Olympic and Commonwealth Games triathlon champion wants cities like Leeds, Sheffield and Hull to potentially join forces with Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle to rescue the ‘Friendly Games’. Brownlee, who strongly believes in the role major sporting events play, thinks that an integrated proposal from the cities of Northern England could set a new standard for how future Games could be organised.

The future of the event is in huge doubt after the Australian State of Victoria pulled out of hosting the 2026 Games earlier this summer. And just this week, the Gold Coast where Brownlee won a silver medal in the team relay with younger brother Jonny in 2018, announced it would not be stepping in due to finance. But in agreement with a column published in The Yorkshire Post in October, Brownlee believes that by spreading the cost across cities and councils and by using existing venues in the north of England, a more cost-effective solution can be found, either for 2026 or 2030.

“Firstly I really believe in the importance of these international multi-sport events, whether that’s the Commonwealth Games or the Olympic Games,” Brownlee, who won two gold medals at the 2014 Games in Glasgow, told The Yorkshire Post. “I actually wrote a piece a couple of months ago, just trying to make the point that yes the sport is important, but it’s also the importance of bringing local people together, that soft diplomatic power which I think is so vital and has probably never been more important with what’s going on in the world. The importance of these events is very clear. The Commonwealth Games as the ‘friendly games’ does serve a different purpose from all the other events, so I think it’s really crucial and it would be great if somewhere could step in and look at putting it on.”

His home county of Yorkshire, together with Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle, already has a large percentage of the venues in place.

Ponds Forge in Sheffield and the John Charles Aquatics Centre in Leeds could share the aquatics events. Both cities have arenas big enough to stage boxing, weightlifting, judo and gymnastics. Yorkshire as a whole has a rich pedigree of hosting major international triathlon and road cycling events, Headingley is perfect for cricket, the MKM Stadium in Hull ideal for rugby sevens, while across the Pennines, Manchester already has venues for track cycling and squash, and Liverpool hosted a Netball World Cup in recent years.

“There’s a few reasons why that dispersed model works,” said Brownlee, who was recently elected chair of the European Olympic Committee’s Athlete Commission as his administrative scope broadens.

“That’s the direction of travel for multi sport events. As part of the Olympic Agenda 2020 plus 5 they’re looking at how they can stage more sustainable Games in the future. There are all kinds of ideas such as using existing venues and accommodation. That seems the pragmatic approach to making these events sustainable in the future.

“And we’re trying to have a more combined North of England region, we talk about the northern powerhouse. There’s potential for any of these organisations to pragmatically look at it as a region, one where there are appropriate venues, and look at putting it on.

“I think it would be fantastic if it was talked about. Right now I don’t know what the logistics are but as a concept I think it’s worth exploring.”

The closest thing to an athletics stadium, traditionally the focal point of a Games, would be the existing facility at Gateshead. There is a precedent in the not-too distant past, as Birmingham’s successful hosting of the 2022 Commonwealth Games was centred around a refurbished athletics stadium in Perry Barr. Those Games cost close to £1b after Birmingham and the UK Government stepped in in 2017 to save the event after Durban pulled out. The up-front bill was split 75-25 between the UK government and Birmingham City Council.

A study by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in the six months after Birmingham’s staging of the 2022 Commonwealth Games revealed the event contributed at least £870m to its economy and that businesses and communities in the West Midlands region, in particular, were the greatest beneficiaries. That would suggest more than the initial outlay comes back in, something Yorkshire has found in its staging of international cycling events over the last decade.

There are suggestions, though nothing concrete, that the UK Government will not bail out the Commonwealth Games in 2026 as it did in Birmingham.

But Brownlee believes it is worth exploring for Yorkshire and the North, that there is a more important measuring stick than money – smiles on faces. “The British people have a real passion for spectating and being involved. The best crowds for my races have been in the UK.”

Analysis

When he says Yorkshire and the North can ride to the rescue of the Commonwealth Games, Alistair Brownlee is not blithely trying to grab a headline.

He does not say Yorkshire and the North should explore an integrated model to host a future edition of the Commonwealth Games because he is ignorant of the challenges of day-to-day life or of the worrying financial realities local authorities are faced with.

One of this county’s greatest ever Olympians is already on a path to being one of this country’s great sports administrators. He knows his voice carries weight.

He is saying it because he loves Yorkshire and because he understands the power of sport.

He is saying it because he thinks the conversation is worth having.

At The Yorkshire Post, where we have covered major events like the Tour de France, the Tour de Yorkshire, the Ashes, rugby World Cups and an annual snooker world championship, we think Alistair Brownlee is right.

We want to start the conversation.

Is it feasible for Yorkshire and the North to come to the rescue of the Commonwealth Games either in 2026 or 2030?

With our existing facilities and infrastructure, could we redefine the way these multi-sport events are staged in the future? Cheaper, more cost effective, more sustainable.

One man who comes at this as a former sports administrator and a businessman is James Mason, the former chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire tourism board.

Now CEO of the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and co-chair of Active Bradford, Mason is another who appreciates sport’s power to enrich and impact lives for the better.

Having tried to keep cycling’s Tour de Yorkshire alive amid trying economic times and a global pandemic, he understands the challenges that organisers face, but also the risk-reward element of bringing these huge events to the region and beyond.

“What we have to understand, post Covid, post Brexit, the war in the Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East, these are very difficult times and a very difficult trading environment for everyone,” begins Mason.

“Local authorities have had their funding cut, will continue to have their funding cut, it’s a challenging time for public services, which therefore means spend on sport and culture might be the first thing to go.

“However, that’s not to say there’s not models in which you can still put big events on, whether that’s sporting, music, festivals and still make ends meet. Bradford 2025 has been a huge shot in the arm in terms of confidence, prosperity, productivity in the city.

“Hosting an event like the Commonwealth Games brings people from all across the world, whether it’s eyeballs on TV or it’s people coming over and physically spending money in our shops, restaurants and hotels for the best part of a month. These teams that come over all need places to stay, to shop at, to eat at.

“The way the Games is going means it’s probably going to be a buyer’s market going forward - we’ve seen Victoria pull out, we’ve seen the Gold Coast pull out - but it still has a huge pulling power.

“I’ve seen the power and the influence that big sporting occasions can have, both financially - big sport makes tills ring - and through media and digital attention. The way content can now be consumed must not be under-estimated, we saw the impact for Yorkshire during those wonderful years of cycling. The Tour de France and the Tour de Yorkshire demonstrated that local authorities working together was possible. There’s always a cost consideration, and that’s fully understood, but there may be other ways to skin this cat.

“Sports clubs? The private sector? We’ve got big brands that have supported events in the past.

“Sport can inspire a generation, as we saw with London 2012, with growth, productivity, mental health, wellbeing and so much more.”

A Commonwealth Games in Yorkshire and/or combined with the North might seem fanciful now, but hand on heart, who in the wake of London 2012 ever thought they would see the Tour de France in the White Rose county?

One man did. Gary Verity dared to dream big and what followed was a six-year period in which Yorkshire shone in the sporting spotlight. Millions spent, yes, but millions more coming into the region. Could that spark be worth replicating with the Commonwealth Games?

“One of my mentors used to say if you do nothing, nothing generally happens,” continued Mason. “Whereas if you do things, turn over a few rocks, have a few conversations and see where things might lead, you might still come back to the conclusion that it can’t be done logistically, timing, cost etc, but you just never know.

“It takes vision, and Yorkshire folk have got that.”

Yorkshire also has an abundance of excellent sporting facilities in place. So let’s at least start the conversation.

Infrastructure already in place…

​Yorkshire alone already has a vast network of facilities that could be used as part of a wider bid for the Commonwealth Games.

Aquatics – Ponds Forge in Sheffield, John Charles in Leeds.

Boxing, judo and indoor sports – Leeds or Sheffield arenas.

Cricket – Headingley.

Mountain biking – Dalby Forest.

Road cycling – the whole county.

Rugby Sevens – Hull.

Triathlon – Leeds.

And beyond…

Athletics – Gateshead Stadium.

Netball and basketball – Liverpool.

Squash – Manchester.

Track cycling – Manchester.