Warrington's sports suffered £10million losses post-Covid

According to the latest figures, the town has faced a loss of £10million from its sports sector.

This represents a huge loss in jobs across sports in Warrington.

The #Sports sector is crucial for generating jobs and boosting #Community wellbeing. With the help of @Cebr_uk, our new report examines how elite clubs can help economies thrive, and looks at opportunities for growth within the sector.

— Irwin Mitchell (@irwinmitchell) November 28, 2022

Legal firm Irwin Mitchell and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) have published a report that highlights the changing fortune of sports across the UK, and what can be done to 'unlock' the potential of the sector.

In Warrington, the sports economy shrank by £10million - or 24.1 per cent - in 2020 as a direct result of the Covid pandemic and national lockdowns.

Pre-pandemic levels showed that sports in Warrington made up a sector valued at £42.2million, accounting for more than 1,000 jobs across the town.

By 2020 this fell to £32.2million, with sports jobs falling to under 1,000.

With the final whistle now blown on RLWC 2021, we can look back on a tournament which has been a real game-changer for Warrington, particularly for disability sport https://t.co/bXIuoZ3Lwt pic.twitter.com/mYBKECSEPa

— Warrington Borough Council (@WarringtonBC) November 24, 2022

To 'unlock the potential of the UK’s sports economy,' the report makes three recommendations to Government in the following three areas:

• Women’s sport - Unlock funding to support the further growth of women’s professional sport including Women’s Super League.
• Climate change - Provide funding and guidelines for green objectives for sports clubs.
• Financial sustainability – Legislate for a new independent regulator for English Football.

Thomas Barnard, head of Irwin Mitchell’s sports sector team, said: “The report shows that like many other towns and cities, Warrington experienced a decline in its sports economy following the impact of the pandemic.

"The sports sector remains an untapped area that is ripe for further economic growth and with targeted green investment in women’s sport would be a great way to kick start the process."

Thomas Barnard says the UK must unlock the full potential of women's sport (Image: Irwin Mitchell)

In creating their report, Cebr used Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES) data to assess the level of sports-related employment in each city and calculate the annual growth rate of sports employment.

Warrington is investing more money into its sporting sector, especially with new projects such as the community football hub in Latchford, which is being championed by Cardinal Newman Catholic High School and Warrington Borough Council.

More information on Irwin Mitchell and Cebr's report can be found here.