Sports pundit Gabby Logan has said Birmingham is in a strong position to host a Commonwealth Games after the city revealed it was planning a bid.
Speaking to the Mail as tickets for Sports Personality of the Year in the city went on sale, the Match of the Day presenter said the city had the confidence and sporting prowess to host the Games.
The city plans to bid for the Commonwealth Games in 2026, likely facing competition from Liverpool and Edmonton in Canada, and the former international gymnast turned BBC Sport presenter said it was well-placed to host it.
She said: “I was an athlete myself at the 1990 Commonwealth Games and I love the idea that 36 years later it could be in Birmingham.
“I could probably still do the routine!
“The Commonwealth Games is a wonderful event and it has done wonderful things for Glasgow.
“I think Birmingham is a city with rising confidence. It seems to have undergone a lot of transformation and has wonderful sporting facilities – you wouldn’t have to do all that much to be ready for a Games.
“I would think it has every chance.”
Bidding for the 2026 Games is expected to take place in 2018, with the winner revealed the next year.
The city council claims it would not only raise Birmingham’s global profile but give a £390 million boost to the city’s economy, creating jobs and bringing in thousands of visitors.
What a Brum Games could look like
Ms Logan will co-host the star-studded Sports Personality of the Year event from Birmingham’s Genting Arena on December 18.
Tickets go on general sale at 9am on Friday October, 7, priced at £45.
Ms Logan said it was likely to be fiercely competitive at the end of a successful Olympic year.
She said: “I am a huge Andy Murray fan and you wouldn’t bet against him winning back-to-back but then you look at someone like Max Whitlock, from the world of gymnastics, who went and won not one but two Olympic gold medals – that is an outstanding performance.
“Then you have Mo Farah – one of the greatest athletes in history – and Dame Sarah Storey, who has swept all before her.”
Meanwhile, commenting on the current plight of Aston Villa, which sacked its manager Roberto Di Matteo, she said the club was crying out for experience.
She said: “Steve Bruce is a name being banded around and he certainly has a lot of experience.
“I would say away from Sam Allardyce at the moment because it might bring some controversy with him at the moment – really you need someone who can just focus on football and Steve Bruce is someone who has proven himself as a man who can take teams up.
“He is also a fighter – you can see that wherever he has gone – and he did that very well at Birmingham.”
She added: “Villa need to do something or they risk lingering round the relegation zone.
“We have seen great teams like Leeds United drop down and not manage to get themselves up again – we really don’t need Villa to be the next ones.”
Tickets can be purchased online from www.theticketfactory.com or by calling 0844 33 88 222.
