I rarely use this platform to discuss football but I can’t let this season pass by without mentioning the subject and taking a few lessons from it along the way.
The determination that the Sunderland team have shown this entire season must be commended likewise the faith the fans have clung to when at times all seemed lost. Sunderland managing to stay up in the premier league seemed almost alien to most people up and down the country. The spotlight was really on the North East and I think the fans should be commended for their confidence and devotion to their club and for helping portray the North East in a positive light.
Then I happened to read an opinion piece in the Guardian where the author compared the North East to the American city Detroit. The piece received a huge uproar on social media and the comments on the back of this fascinated me, as well as online a number of people protested this article claiming the author had not researched and backed up his argument but rather took the typical stereotyping the of region and based his article on this.
So I would like to jump on the bandwagon if I may and give my thoughts; not on the entire article for this has already been done admirably by many…a quick search on Google and you will find them.
I would like to focus on one particular paragraph. In the article the author highlights Margaret Thatcher’s visit in 1987 and am sure readers know the famous photograph which highlighted the visit, walking across wasteland of weeds and factories long since closed.
My counter argument to this is we have so much business success in the region, the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) celebrates 20 years in June, our occupancy levels stand at 93 per cent and to date we have helped over 2,500 businesses in the region.
Yes, there are still improvements to be made but I wish people would look at how the North East is now, and the opportunities it presents and not focus on long gone images of old.