Sport in 2025: A rallying cry to London, Mayor Khan and Londoners
For at least the past five years it has felt as if London was disappearing off the global sporting stage.
The capital may boast the Home of Cricket, 17 professional football clubs and five stadiums with a capacity of over 50,000 but huge sporting events have sought refuge in the likes of Saudi Arabia, the United States and on the continent.
The next 12 months, and the next five years that make up this decade, are therefore crucial for the capital.
Business, authorities, fans, local communities and foreign investors who love London must do their bit in giving the Big Smoke the best chance possible at competing with the established, and soon to be established, sporting giants of the world.
No excuse for London
There’s no excuse for London to linger in the shadows or lag behind; the capital is home to the Wimbledon Championships, the Six Nations, Premier League football, the World Darts Championship and cricket’s World Test Championship final.
It represents an opportunity where Brits and overseas talent alike can thrive in front of millions who adore their live sport.
But to ensure London can compete on the global stage we must get radical.
City Hall rightly approved plans for a Wimbledon expansion, unlike their disappointing call to deny the capital an MSG Sphere like the one lighting up Viva Las Vegas. But those plans, and mayoral backing, must continue to stand against NIMBY opposition groups determined to keep a private golf course as king of their community – it’ll come in handy, too, at Allianz Stadium when the RFU asks authorities to allow it to host more events outside of rugby.
London must help the likes of Chelsea, Millwall and Arsenal realise their ambitions to develop, expand or rebuild their stadiums – for a skyline with arenas like the one adored by Tottenham Hotspur can catapult the capital to the forefront of minds looking for a location in which to host their next, crazy event. These arenas, too, can be the financial lifeblood to London’s mega music scene.
Brentford must play their part in helping defunct London Irish return to the inner echelons of this great city, and if that’s not possible then the return of the Exiles somewhere in the capital can add depth to our offering. It is with that endeavour that we should look at London Broncos and ensure that rugby league, too, remains part of the city’s sporting fabric.
Ambition
Afterall, it’s not like there’s zero ambition within the M25. Sumo Wrestling returns to the capital for the first time since 1991 and the same venue, the Royal Albert Hall, will welcome boxing once again. Netball and basketball will host domestic finals at the O2, the same arena that will once again thrill with the final of the Premier League of Darts.
London enjoys the Queen’s Championship again in 2025, this year with a women’s tournament, and Polo in the Park adds a quirk to the summer socialite’s calendar. South Africa will participate in the World Test Championship at Lord’s cricket ground and the London Horse Show and marathon will both dazzle once more.
London has its unique offering, but sometimes that is not enough to compete with the likes of Los Angeles, New York, and our European neighbours.
Mayor Sadiq Khan must encourage and back business to invest in our capital, whether that be through selling the naming rights to the London Stadium in Stratford or finding sites for the capital’s next padel or squash club, and he and deputy prime minister Angela Rayner must bulldoze through NIMBY opposition when sporting success is a potential benefit of development.
Kang investment
We saw how Michele Kang’s investment in the London City Lionesses realised a vision, a vision that was allowed to evolve into a reality. We need more Kang-like figures, and more of those willing to listen.
The capital’s politicians must be steadfast in their support for football clubs in raising concerns about the incoming regulator and should help those associated with race courses surrounding the city, such as Ascot, in their concerns surrounding incoming gambling legislation.
The next 12 months can be a launchpad for London to get right back into the upper stratosphere of sporting greatness. In February London will host the F1 launch show, where all 10 teams show off their new challengers, which is a huge coup for the city and a beacon of forward momentum to take on into the future.
We will, in all likelihood, have two foreign groups investing in the London Spirit and Oval Invincibles Hundred teams – the former is expected to sell for a valuation above £100m to major Indian Premier League investors. The capital must be ready for the opportunity this brings, and ensure that all investment interests in the capital can be realised.
Throw in the return of the NFL – albeit with worries that some other countries could steal one of our three International Series games – and the possibility of having a Brit in Lord Coe becoming chief of the International Olympic Committee and the capital can be sure of ears to listen should it choose to speak up. Is it time for Sir Keir Starmer and Khan to invite President Trump to an NFL match or next year’s UFC Fight Night? Definitely.
London needs mojo back
London used to run the show, and sadly that is no longer the case. Sport has moved on from its traditional venue favourites and has looked to modern, exciting alternatives.
But it is not over for the capital, who should put resources into the Football Association bid to host the 2031 Fifa Women’s World Cup. It can rise again.
With the right backing and some collective thinking 2025 can be the year London’s international sporting scene gets its mojo back. And if it does, we all benefit. We’re at half-time for this decade, so it’s on Londoners to ensure the city comes out fighting in the second half to power home with a romping victory for the capital.