‘Royal wedding buzz’ over Niall
Sunderland football legend Niall Quinn’s link to the club would create a “Royal wedding” buzz for the city’s economy, it is claimed.
A Sunderland University expert believes a return to winning ways on the pitch can spark improved results off it for businesses.
Professor Lawrence Bellamy, academic dean for the faculty of business, law and management at the university, believes the success of a football club can help galvanise what he calls the “Royal Wedding phenomenon”.
He said: “A sporting club doing well can have a positive psychological impact.
“Good results realise increased leisure spending, and a more positive viewpoint of consumers.
“It’s the Royal Wedding phenomenon, where ‘feelgood’ is important.
“At a company level, investors can be encouraged by the appearance of a local sporting organisation being successful and the potential for associated benefits.
“Sporting clubs stand out because of their profile and so people notice the activity, for better or worse. Measuring these factors can be difficult, as the lost ‘non investment’ values will never be known.”
Professor Bellamy says that large football clubs can often have a mutually beneficial relationship with their affiliated city.