South Yorkshire mayor backs Northern Olympics bid 'assessment', saying county has 'proud sporting heritage'

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard is backing an ‘assessment’ of an Olympic bid for the North, because he wants to show off the sporting heritage of Sheffield and South Yorkshire.

It comes as the Government announces a strategic assessment into a potential bid for Olympic and Paralympic Games in the North of England.

Mr Coppard said: “It’s right the Government is now taking a serious look at whether a future Olympic and Paralympic Games in the North could become a reality. It’s an important first step in recognising the strength and ambition that exists across our whole country.

“I’m not simply backing the plan for a Northern Olympics because South Yorkshire has a long, proud and indelible sporting heritage that we want to recognise and show-off to the world, but because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to demand huge, transformational investment across the whole of the North.”

The Government has commissioned UK Sport to carry out an initial strategic assessment examining whether the UK could host an Olympic and Paralympic Games in the North of England during the 2040s, to use sports to power regeneration of towns and cities.

Initial work examining whether the UK could host the Games for the first time since London 2012 will assess key factors such as potential cost, socioeconomic benefit and any bid’s chance of success.

The Government says it sees major sporting events and sporting facilities as playing a key role in driving economic growth, regeneration, improving pride in place, and bolstering the UK’s global appeal.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “London 2012 showed what the Olympics can do for our country. It inspired a generation through sport, attracted huge investment and showed the best of Britain to the world.

“But while the North of England has driven so much sporting excellence, no matter the talent we produce, the sporting moments we create, and the world-class events we attract - for too long we have been told the Olympics is simply too big and too important to be hosted in the North.

“Not any more. It’s time the Olympics came North and we showed what we can offer to the world. I couldn’t be more pleased to announce that we’re starting the firing gun on a long overdue vote of confidence in the North.”

However, the Government’s announcement has made no mention of any investment in Sheffield.

The city was the venue for the 1991 World Student Games, and the city forked out over £100m in construction and running costs for the games. The total cost including interest and refinancing has been £658 million, and was due to be finally be paid off by the city in the 2023-24 financial year. Supporters of the games say it led to major regeneration in the city.

The games, from July 14 to July 25, 1991, saw the redevelopment of derelict former steelworks land. But its centrepiece Don Valley stadium was demolished less than 25 years after it had hosted the opening ceremony.

However, the Ponds Forge swimming pool and diving pool which was used for the games is still in operation.

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Sheffield’s sporting facilities suffered a further blow in April this year when the athletics venue at Woodbourn Road in Attercliffe was closed by Sheffield Hallam University, which operates the site, leaving many athletes having to cancel their weekly meet-ups or travel outside of the city to continue training.

The city has also fallen down the pecking order for football events. Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough Stadium was used as a venue in the 1966 World Cup finals and the Euro 96 finals, but has not been considered for more recent tournaments as larger and more modern venues have been built elsewhere.

The Government says their announcement is an initial assessment only, and it is not committing to a bid at this stage. The findings will determine whether to proceed with a more detailed technical feasibility study, examining the costs, benefits, and viability of hosting the Games.

Any final decision on if and when a future bid might take place would be down to the British Olympic Association and British Paralympic Association.