Relegation blues: how a football team's fortunes can affect a whole city

08 May 2019 11:00
Sunderland fans could end this season celebrating promotion – but the team’s 2017 and 2018 relegations hurt more than local prideWhen Sunderland AFC take on Portsmouth in the promotion playoff semi-finals this weekend, it won’t just be diehard fans cheering them on. Local businesses also have a vested interest in how the team fares. “When morale’s high, people spend – but when it’s low they don’t,” says Andy Bradley, director of the Bridges, a bright, mall-style shopping centre in the heart of Sunderland. “If the team does well, parents spend their money on treats for the kids.”The success of a football club can have a material impact on a city’s economy. When Leicester became Premier League champions in 2016, takings at the city’s tills rose appreciably, with the economic forecasting group EY estimating that the title triumph contributed a fairly immediate £140m to the local economy. Related: Sunderland: where the terraces are a refuge from the uncertainties of Brexit Continue readingreadfullarticle

Source: TheGuardian