If charm and warmth were the criteria for bidding to host World Cup games, NewcastleGateshead would be awarded the final itself. Steeped in history and nostalgia in a region that is notorious for its passion, NewcasteGateshead offers an atmosphere that is unique in England. Its people contain an unrivalled commitment to their sporting heroes, mixed with an open friendliness to all tourists. Football fans visiting this city will leave with a romantic and spiritual connection that will compel them to return.

 

To bring a World Cup to any city the highest of standards have to be met, and NewcastleGateshead ticks every box. Easily accessible by air, rail and road, Newcastle is located in North-East England and is the last major city before the Scottish border.

The town is a cosmopolitan one, attracting tourists in their droves without even mentioning the word “football”. Nightlife, culture, history and scenery – Newcastle would be capable of staging World Cup games tomorrow if the need arose.

The backbone of bringing the World Cup here is Newcastle United’s magnificent 52,400 all-seater stadium, St. James’s Park. After undergoing a major expansion in 1998 it is now the fourth largest football stadium in England. Regularly occupied by the “Toon Army”, St James’s Park can boast one of the loudest and intimidating atmosphere’s in European football.

The venue is located in the city centre only a 500m walk from the town’s main railway station, and its white cantilever roof is visible across the city as if symbolising a statement of solidarity for Newcastle’s townspeople.

St. James’s Park successfully hosted matches at Euro 96, as well as England internationals during the redevelopment of Wembley. It is already approved by FIFA to host World Cup matches and regularly stages major music concerts. The stadium has also already been selected as a host stadium for the 2012 Olympics.

The love of football in Newcastle transcends well beyond St. James’s Park. Known as a working class city, the core of social activity is largely based around the football team. Newcastle United have been starved of silverware since 1969 and recently relegated out of England’s top flight.

Despite repeated heartbreak, the local “Geordies” have never been a support to allow their spirit’s to be dampened. They have a thriving rivalry with local neighbours Sunderland and Middlesbrough.
Given their passion, hospitality, humour and drive for success, it would almost be a sporting crime to prevent the “Geordie Nation” from expressing their personalities across the world stage.

Beyond the people and passion of Newcastle the city also contains the required infrastructure to host such a major event. With conference centres, hotels and training facilities in abundance, there is no reason why competing teams and visiting fans won’t feel catered for.

By 2018 Newcastle will have 3000 hotel rooms within a 20 minute walk of the stadium. Nearby areas such as Darlington and Middlesbrough will also provide training facilities for teams. Bus, road and rail transport is frequent and well organised.

The airport is less than 10km from town and Newcastle can even boast its own international ferry Terminal that runs a service to Amsterdam. This could prove convenient for fans of the Scandinavian or Low countries.
Outdoor areas are plentiful across the city and tourists would have a variety of options of where to congregate for matches or mix with the locals. There are notable concentrations of pubs, bars and nightclubs around the Bigg Market, and the Quayside area of the city centre.

Other popular areas for nightlife are Collingwood Street, Neville Street, the Central Station area and Osborne Road in the Jesmond area of the city.

For fans who wish to discover more of the city other than the football and social aspects there are a variety of museums and galleries on offer including The Discovery Museum and The Great North Museum. A must-see in Newcastle is the beautifully sculptured Tyne Bridge overlying the river upon which the city is built.

As with any town, crime and violence is a subject that will come under much scrutiny for such a colassal event. In this category Newcastle would post amongst the average of most other UK cities. With increased security employed for the World Cup, the city shood be able to guarantee safety to the majority of fans who apply sensible precautions.

As the bidding process is now beginning to reach fever pitch some of Newcastle United’s icon’s have given the campaign substance. At the launch of the bid former player, Peter Beardsley said, “If NewcastleGateshead was to become a host city for the World Cup, the twin cities would come alive with a sense of carnival. It is this level of excitement combined with investment that would be sure to inspire the region’s young footballers and will create a sporting legacy for generations to come.”

Alan Shearer also contributed, saying “To play in the biggest tournament of all is a dream for every footballer and to see St. James’ Park named as a World Cup venue for 2018 would be fantastic and fitting for such a great stadium. Fans coming to Newcastle for World Cup matches would be guaranteed the warmest of welcomes and be able to experience the passion we have for football here in the North East”.

As rival cities begin to roll out their plans to upgrade facilities and stadia, NewcastleGateshead has the competitive advantage of having much of the criteria for selection already in place. The requirements are centralized in a city centre that has recent experience of hosting European and international football.

However, the major pulling power of NewcastleGateshead cannot be viewed in the overheads section of an accountant’s balance sheet or an artist’s impression of a stadium. It’s in the morality, personality and charm of the people within the city. If England 2018/22 is to have a successful completion, NewcastleGateshead is a necessity. Newcastle United may be in remission right now, but the “Geordie people” are alive and kicking.