Brum-in’ fantastic sports
Commonwealth Games host Birmingham is a great choice for the summer showpiece, says
It’s the city where cricket’s club league started and the first ever game of lawn tennis was played. And sprint king Usain Bolt once said that the “love” shown to him by its people during training there for London 2012 helped him reclaim his two Olympic titles.
As a city with sport running through its veins, Birmingham is aptly set to host this summer’s Commonwealth
Games, arguably the UK’S biggest sporting event since the Olympics 10 years ago.
And its raft of world-class venues, history-laden grounds and novel new activities show that, with just over six months to go, the city is ready for some serious action. Sports fans are certainly in for a treat.
When we visited Birmingham for a taste of what might be in store our first s-port of call was
Villa Park, home to Aston Villa FC – Prince William’s favourite team.
Once one of the country’s most esteemed clubs with 19 major domestic honours and a European Cup to their name, Villa were a founding member of the Football League, formed in 1888 when director William Mcgregor invited other clubs to play regularly. Since then Villa Park has become the first English ground to host international football in three different centuries.
On an entertaining tour with club official Mick Dale, my son Freddie, his friend Ollie and I saw the home changing room – with players’ shirts hanging up – and walked out pitchside through the tunnel.
We also lifted the 2019 play-off winners’ trophy and posed for pictures with player Douglas Luiz, fresh home from winning Olympic