Sport: Britain’s next soft powerhouse 

 Ben Young, Client Executive
01/10/2025

If you went out on the street anywhere in Britain today and asked a passer-by what this country is doing well at, you may be forgiven for holding a short conversation. However, one topic that could get a worthy mention is sport, and if said individual is a political aficionado, they may also offer a comment on Britain’s seemingly limitless soft power offering.

Recently, the Lionesses have won a second consecutive Women’s Euros, the England Men’s Cricket team fought a series of gripping battles against India and the British and Irish Lions were successful on their tour Down Under. Brands such as the Premier League are world-renowned and are currently limitless money-spinners.

Brand Britain is alive and well, particularly on the sports front, and this government has much to gain from celebrating that and cultivating its continued growth. If the government is calculated and careful, it can create a lasting legacy that ensures Britain’s sports scene remains a heavyweight on the global stage, compensating while the country perhaps retreats on other fronts.

Following on from my previous blog, ‘The Overregulated Game’, the Football Governance Bill has successfully navigated Parliament to become an Act, and the Independent Football Regulator will soon be overseeing England’s footballing pyramid. I celebrated the government’s intention to put protections in place to prevent the tragedies of another town losing a beloved institution, such as Bury FC, but critiqued the overreach on the expanded powers that Labour put forward when reintroducing the Bill.

Alas, 9 months later, I write with the backdrop of Macclesfield Town narrowly avoiding extinction and Sheffield Wednesday being unable to escape the grip of a rogue owner.  It remains to be seen whether the government or regulator will or can step in to offer a way out of this mess. When the Independent Football Regulator team eventually sits down at their desks, they will be faced with an opportunity to either impose their authority and earn credibility or immediately prove themselves to be toothless.

Whilst the most viewed league in the world isn’t about to be regulated out of existence, there is something of a threat brewing from increasing greed and overstretch from the clubs basking in the rapid expansion of the top flights. Whilst clubs are in the financial doldrums, middling Premier League teams bask in the glory of the utterly unenthralling ‘Summer Series’ to mediocre crowds in America.

Meanwhile, FA Cup replays have been scrapped, which has already cost unfortunate lower league clubs like Tamworth a small fortune and the opportunity to play in the country’s greatest venues. There are other flaws within the domestic game, but if the government-established regulator can’t protect the game in the interests of the fans over the interests of billionaire owners of a select few clubs, then what is the point in its existence?

Football aside, Britain’s other sporting offerings have the potential to reaffirm Britain’s soft power offering. Whilst another London 2012 would be fantastic and absolutely should be considered, the government has the opportunity to embrace upcoming mega-events to regenerate the euphoric feeling and the unity that Britain has been in deficit of for so long.

We already have Euro 2028 in the bag, and the government has announced its intention to bid for the 2029 World Athletics Championships and the Home Nations are the sole bidder for the 2035’s Women’s World Cup. A home victory in 2028, the recreation of the Olympic Spirit in 2029, or the women triumphing in 2035 would be extraordinarily valuable for national morale and Britain’s soft power. These events are costly and complex to hold, but Britain already has most of the necessary infrastructure, and the payoff would come in the form of positive international attention.

The government has the opportunity to take a grip of the sports sector and utilise it as a tool to show that Britain is capable of success and excellence. It has made a start with the Independent Football Regulator and a pipeline of bids for large events, and even more ambition would help the government’s cause to build a sporting legacy and improve Britain’s position on an international stage.