NewcastleGateshead Candidate Host City bid

Angel Of The North Kicks Off World Cup Brand

FOLLOWING an announcement in May that NewcastleGateshead is to submit a bid to host World Cup Football in either 2018 or 2022, the brand identity for the NewcastleGateshead Candidate Host City bid is today unveiled.

The fresh-looking image shows an illustration of the Angel of the North kicking a football which arches over the River Tyne combining the iconic images associated with NewcastleGateshead.

The image will be highly visible during a six month campaign until the Football Association announces in December England's Candidate Host Cities and venues for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup™ events.

Developed in partnership, the NewcastleGateshead Candidate Host City bid is a collaboration between Newcastle City Council, Gateshead Council, NewcastleGateshead Initiative, Newcastle United Football Club and other partners.

The move is supported with a track record of an area used to handling large-scale events such as the Great North Run; the world's biggest half marathon with 54,000 runners; Euro 96; the Tall Ships Race, which saw over 1.5 million visitors in three days, along with stadium concerts.

This summer, the area will host the Aviva British Grand Prix athletics, England's largest fair, The Hoppings, along with many other high profile world-class events.

If the bid is successful, NewcastleGateshead will be beamed across the world to an estimated worldwide TV audience of 24 billion viewers in 240 countries.

The event will generate huge international interest in NewcastleGateshead bringing a positive economic contribution in the tourism sector estimated at £24.9million, with thousands of high-spending tourists visiting North East England during the month-long tournament giving a boost to tourism and business.

John Shipley, Leader of Newcastle City Council said: "Bidding for the World Cup is an opportunity to put the iconic cityscape of NewcastleGateshead on a world stage.It's a real chance to showcase our offering of sports stadia, training camps, conference and hotel facilities, and our road, rail, air and sea travel links to a global audience.

"NewcastleGateshead would be a wonderful location for World Cup matches.We are putting together a very strong bid.

"The economic benefit to Tyneside will be enormous.Matches would be beamed worldwide from St James' Park, giving us a massive opportunity to showcase our Host City."

A dedicated team of high-level Champions from across the region, led by Councillor Faulkner, Deputy Leader of Newcastle City Council, are being recruited to boost and endorse NewcastleGateshead's bid amongst businesses and through the media.

These will be supported by an operations group, led by Barry Rowland, acting Chief Executive of Newcastle City Council, drawn from across the 'twin cities' which will look at all aspects of the criteria for hosting the FIFA World Cup in Newcastle and Gateshead.

Alan Shearer, former Newcastle United and England captain, said: "Leading out England during the 1998 World Cup Finals in France was a great honour for me.

"To play in the biggest tournament of all is a dream for every footballer

"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."

Leader of Gateshead Council Mick Henry said: "Gateshead and Newcastle have a proud record of hosting world-class events, which we're always keen to build upon and they don't come much bigger than World Cup football.

"If this bid is successful, and I firmly believe that our combination of superb facilities and huge passion is an unbeatable offer, the benefits to NewcastleGateshead will be enormous.The financial impact and the long term benefits from putting the area on the world stage will mean that it would be a guaranteed home win for Tyneside."

In a rally for people to back the bid, Andrew Dixon, Chief Executive of NewcastleGateshead Initiative said: "We are confident that people in the area will show support, there is no other region with such a sporting landscape and an inherent passion for football.

"We are asking everyone to help bring world-class football to England and the North East by visiting www.england2018bid.com and sign up for the NewcastleGateshead bid."

For business enquiries, please contact sally.pearson@robson-brown.co.uk and quote World Cup.