What football brings to cities and how this benefits the property market

Football is by far the most popular form of entertainment in the world, and billions of people from around the globe follow our football clubs week in, week out.

That enormous impact can be felt close to home, in towns and cities across the UK. There is no better example of this than Manchester, which hosts two of the world’s biggest clubs – Manchester City and Manchester United.

Pushing Manchester up the global league table

Manchester is known for many things, but its football clubs are arguably the most famous of the city’s cultural exports. When there’s a game on, the city stops and people from around the world tune in.

That global success keeps Manchester at the forefront of people’s minds and gives the city a strong international profile built on success and excellence. It makes the city a more desirable place to visit, live, work and invest because people want to be part of the world-class football culture we have here.

An open goal for the economy

That translates directly to economic strength. Soft power becomes hard economic currency for local businesses, which can rely on the tourism and consistent footfall that comes with the global attention.

A study by EY shows that football adds £1.1bn to the Greater Manchester economy each year and supports more than 21,000 jobs.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “It’s almost impossible to describe the huge range of benefits that come from having two of the biggest names in world football in one city.

“The profile of the city is raised immeasurably by the stature of our two Premier League football clubs. As Mayor of Greater Manchester, every time I go about often the first question I get is about what’s happening at City or United.

“These clubs have been levelling up the North West for years”

Football tourists spend more than other tourists

Additional research from Manchester City Council’s Economy and Regeneration shows that football tourists spend approximately a third more than other types of tourists when they visit the city. The report adds that football tourism also “creates a major uplift in occupancy, motivates visitors (particularly international) who would not otherwise come.”

So not only is football tourism more valuable, but it is also a key motivator for people who would otherwise not visit Manchester.

Major infrastructure investments caused by football

The economic uplift provided has other positive economic impacts in the city, too. The story of East Manchester’s revival under the stewardship of Manchester City Football Club is well known and ongoing. The stadium, training complex, local college facilities, hotel expansion and the Co-op Live Arena are just some of the major investments in the city that have been enabled by football. In total, billions of pounds have been spent upgrading a deprived part of the city.

Manchester United are now following suit just outside the city in Trafford. A new £2bn stadium masterplan has been announced, which is intended to unlock £4.2bn of private investment in the area and add an estimated total of £7.3bn to the national economy.

Both of the regeneration areas around Manchester’s football clubs are driving major investments, creating tens of thousands of jobs and uplifting the city as a whole. They have provided the impetus for further investments in transport infrastructure, housing projects, hospitality and leisure developments and commercial space that ensures the impact of football in Manchester keeps growing.

Long-term property growth supported by football

All the investment, global profile and direct economic benefits brought by football also benefit the property market. Manchester is a great example of how football supports long-term economic growth and benefits property owners.

More people are coming to the city for football, driving up rental demand. Regeneration areas increase property values and rents as the quality of accommodation increases. New jobs and new infrastructure make Manchester even more attractive and further push up demand.

Football is one of Manchester’s greatest assets, and it serves property investors too. Want to invest in Manchester and benefit from the impact of City and United? Contact our team today to discover our available Manchester city centre properties for sale!