Birmingham has been chosen over Liverpool as a "potential English bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games," according to Martyn Ziegler of the LONDON TIMES. Sources confirmed that the government selected the West Midlands option and "will make a decision before the end of September about whether to put forward an English bid for the event against a rival bid from Kuala Lumpur." Hosting the Games will cost around £500M ($654.9M) in public money, 75% of which "will have to come from the Treasury and the remainder from local councils." The budget for Birmingham's bid was "less than Liverpool's," and its plans include using the velodrome in London or Manchester for the track cycling events. The athletics events are planned for the Alexander Stadium, which would be "increased to 50,000 seats using temporary seating and then reduced to a permanent capacity of 25,000" (LONDON TIMES, 9/7). In London, Matt Slater reported having beaten Liverpool in a "tight race" to win the Department of Digital, Culture, Media & Sport's backing, Birmingham "must now convince the government to approve the bid and underwrite the event's costs." The call on whether Birmingham 2022 will deliver what DCMS described as "clear value for taxpayers' money" will be made in the coming weeks, with the Commonwealth Games Federation's final decision on where the Games will be held "expected by the end of the year." The event became "unexpectedly available" in March, when the CGF stripped Durban, South Africa, of the right to stage the Games because of "financial issues." After making initial applications, the cities were visited twice by an independent assessment panel set up by DCMS this summer and at least once by the CGF, "with revised bids going in three weeks ago." Both bids "had strengths and weaknesses," and it is understood Liverpool "closed the gap in terms of impressing the panel and the CGF's inspection team" (INDEPENDENT, 9/7). REUTERS' Alan Baldwin reported U.K. Sports Minister Tracey Crouch said that the government would assess the final proposal from Birmingham before deciding whether a formal bid will be submitted to Games officials. Crouch: "We need to be completely satisfied that the bid offers overall value for money from hosting the Games and that a strong economic and sporting legacy can be delivered from it. If we are to bid and are selected ... I have no doubt that Birmingham would host an excellent sporting spectacle." Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson congratulated Birmingham (REUTERS, 9/7).
The BBC reported West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said, "This is brilliant news for Birmingham and the West Midlands. We've never had a multi-sport competition like this in Birmingham and the West Midlands so this is genuinely is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us." Liverpool bid Chair Brian Barwick said that it was a "great shame" Liverpool's bid had been unsuccessful. He added, "We are proud to have put together such a bold plan, and it has been incredible to see the city unite behind a common cause and come together under the banner of the Commonwealth" (
BBC, 9/7).
