SPORTS: Manchester Pushes History To Repeat Itself

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Samanta Sen

MANCHESTER, Mar 13 2002 (IPS) - Manchester rose as a city a century ago on the strength of industrial produce it sold to British colonies. Now the city is rebuilding itself out of a new relationship with its former colonies.

What were colonies then are now independent members of the Commonwealth – a group of 54 nations that were once ruled by the British. Among them are four developed nations – Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Other significant members are South Africa, India, Malaysia and Nigeria. Many of the other members are small Caribbean island countries. Athletes from these countries are gathering in Manchester this July for the 17th Commonwealth Games.

Manchester got the Games after two unsuccessful bids to host the Olympics.

“After those moves failed we decided that we would host the Commonwealth Games to give the city a boost,” a spokeswoman for Manchester City Council told IPS.

Manchester is looking to very much more than sports at the Games. The Games, to be held from July 25 to August 4, have become an occasion for the city to build a new future for itself after much of its industrial structure collapsed by the eighties. “New housing and development will make parts of Manchester a mini-Venice,” the spokeswoman said.

The transformation is evident all over the city. Much of that development is coming up around Sportcity, the name given to the new area which houses the new stadium, velodrome and new sports facilities for the Games.

“Our days of success on the strength of cotton and of iron and steel had gone,” the spokeswoman said. “By the seventies factories were shutting down, Manchester was becoming a city of empty houses, of people moving out,” she said. The Games are helping to put new life into the city, she said.

The Commonwealth Games will mean “fun, games and jobs, jobs, jobs,” says Richard Leese, leader of the City Council.

There was no other contender following an agreement to hold the Games this time in Britain to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth.

The Commonwealth Games are funded by a budget of 154 million U.S. dollars, of which 108 million dollars came from the national lottery fund and the rest from the city council. The stadium and velodrome for the games have already attracted the first Wal-Mart store in Britain in partnership with the Asda stores. That enterprise alone will create 2,000 jobs.

The athletes, officials and media, more than 10,000 of them, will come and go. But Manchester is planning for some things that come with their arrival to stay.

The British Tourist Authority is working within the group Marketing Manchester to turn the Games into a magnet to bring in hundreds of thousands of visitors domestically and from abroad. Manchester attracted more than half a million tourists last year, the highest number after London and Edinburgh.

The city is publicising the Games to attract many more.

“We have a tremendous opportunity to promote Manchester and the region on the domestic and international tourism stage, creating a legacy that will attract visits from within Britain and throughout the world for many years to come,” says Fiona Turnbull who heads the new tourism team for the Games.

Queen Elizabeth launched the preparation for the Games on Commonwealth Day on March 11 with the launch of the world’s longest relay race. The Commonwealth baton will be taken on a journey of 92,800 kilometres through 23 Commonwealth countries. It is no coincidence that the British Tourist Authority has launched campaigns simultaneously to attract visitors to Britain, and this summer to Manchester specifically.

Manchester officials plan to use these visits to promote repeat visits and also investment. Taking a cue from the Olympics at Sydney Manchester city council is launching a Business Club at the Games. The Business Club will hold events starting the day before the Games and continuing until two days later.

“The Business Club aims to connect north-west and UK companies with other national and international businesses,” a spokeswoman handling the business plans said. Members will be enrolled and “introduced to other Business Club users within the Commonwealth and other international countries,” she said. The Business Club will hold several seminars on the tourism and sports industries.

The hosts also launched a Spirit of Friendship Festival on March 11. Under that about 170 cultural events will be held in Manchester right through the summer. The events from many participating Commonwealth countries will boost the profile of Manchester in varying ways.

“The Commonwealth Games used to be a relatively minor event up until the last games held at Kuala Lumpur in 1998,” the city council spokeswoman said. “Only then did it get a profile,” she said. “This time we are delivering something larger than before, and larger than we had anticipated.”

So far so good. Of a million tickets going for the Games, about half a million have been sold already. Tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies at the 38,000 capacity stadium are sold out. Sensible prices have helped sales. The lowest priced ticket that still gives a good view is priced no more than eight dollars.

Organisers expect about a billion people to watch Commonwealth events on television. That alone will put a global spotlight on the city and earn revenue through television rights and advertising. “We are looking to capitalise on the long-term benefits this will bring,” the spokeswoman said.

A separate team will promote merchandising of Commonwealth products for sale to visitors and in Commonwealth countries around the world. This will include collectors’ items in bone china, gold and silver through to pin badges, coins, stamps, clothing, toys and stationery.

Not exactly the kind of merchandise Manchester sold to former British colonies. But Manchester is looking to markets in those ex-colonies for a second revival.