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Chasing Gold: Exploring the UK's Premier Olympic Sport Facilities

26th July 2024

Olympics

Distribution of our Single and Multi-Sport Facilities

Figure 1: Top 10 Single versus Multi Sport Facilities 2024
Multisport facilities are less common than single-sport facilities in the UK, with a concentration in regions with the largest settlements, such as London, the central belt of Scotland, and Northwest England. This distribution aligns with the UK's population centres, where multisport facilities cater to a high number of people by offering a variety of sports in areas where space is often limited. These facilities are typically larger and more costly to build and maintain, making them more prevalent in areas with greater income opportunities.

Single-sport facilities, on the other hand, are more numerous and widespread across the UK but also follow population density patterns. Notable concentrations are found in the Scottish central belt, London, and Northwest England. Regions such as Northern Scotland, the Scottish Lowlands, and highland areas in Northern England and Wales have fewer single-sport facilities due to their lower populations. In these areas, smaller, less expensive facilities are more common, resulting in lower total numbers.

The Makeup of the UK's Sports Facilities

Among the top 10 facility categories, tennis is the most prevalent, comprising approximately 25% of all facilities. 

Football follows at about 21%, and swimming accounts for around 13%. Equestrian facilities make up approximately 12% of all sports facilities in the UK, though this figure may be inflated due to many being privately owned and less accessible to the public. Gyms and bowls pitches are nearly equal in number, but gyms serve a larger population. Cricket, basketball, golf, and rugby together make up the final 15%, with facilities distributed throughout the country.
All Facilities 2024

Distribution of the UK's most famous sports

Football has the greatest spread across the UK of the single sport facilities, with almost 25,000 locations. Only central Wales, and the Scottish Highlands have limited access to these facilities.

Cricket

Cricket, with nearly 6,000 locations across the UK, is primarily concentrated in the southern regions. Notable exceptions include hotspots in Lancashire and West Yorkshire, where the sport is also highly popular. 

Conversely, cricket is underrepresented in Wales, Northern Ireland, and areas outside the central belt of Scotland. These regions have fewer cricket facilities, reflecting lower participation and interest compared to other parts of the UK. Factors such as historical, cultural, and climatic differences contribute to this uneven distribution, affecting the accessibility and development of cricket nationwide. Exploring data on these trends over time would be insightful.
Figure 3: Cricket

Swimming

Team GB has a distinguished history of producing exceptional swimmers, especially in the 21st century. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Team GB won four swimming gold medals, a first in over 100 years. This success is supported by the presence of nearly 15,000 swimming-only facilities across the UK (and many more when combined with gyms). However, compared to cricket, swimming facilities are more concentrated in the South, particularly from west to east, with a notable decrease further north. The highest concentration is in the region extending from central London southwest into Surrey, reflecting areas with high-income households. In contrast, the notable concentrations of cricket in Yorkshire and Northumberland are not mirrored in swimming-only facilities. There is, however, a greater representation of swimming facilities in Northern Ireland and a more even distribution throughout Scotland.
Figure 4: Swimming

Football

Football is the UK’s most popular sport and the national sport of England, with over 2 million adults playing at least twice a month. The UK’s long history with football—highlighted by the men’s national team being the oldest in international football—reflects its widespread distribution across the country, though it remains concentrated in high-population areas. Football has a greater presence in Northern England, Northern Ireland, and beyond the Scottish central belt compared to other key sports, due to its ease of setup, maintenance, and widespread appeal. Although Team GB rarely competes in Olympic football, England’s men’s and women’s teams have achieved notable success recently. The women’s team won the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 and finished second in the 2023 World Cup, while the men’s team secured second place in the 2020 and 2024 European Championships. The growing number of football facilities across the UK has supported widespread participation and sustained the sport’s popularity.
Figure 5: Football

Rugby

Rugby originated in England in the 19th century and spread from the schools where it was first played to the rest of the UK and across the British Empire. Today, it is one of the most popular sports in the UK, with approximately 4,000 facilities. However, its distribution is more uneven compared to other key sports. Notable hotspots include Northwest London, South Wales, the West Midlands (where the sport began), West Yorkshire, and central Scotland. Conversely, rugby facilities are sparse in central Wales, Southwest Scotland, and central South England. Despite this uneven distribution, all four UK nations have popular and successful national teams that have competed in and occasionally won significant international competitions.
Figure 6: Rugby

Conclusion

The success of Team GB in the Olympics, particularly in sports like swimming and rugby highlight the importance of accessible and well-distributed sports facilities across the UK. Our datasets, such as LeisureVision provide invaluable insights into the distribution and accessibility of these facilities, supporting the development of sports infrastructure nationwide. 

If you are interested in finding out more about GMAP’s location intelligence services through RetailVision, LeisureVision, and geodemographic data, or our expert location planning consultancy services, and location intelligence software and reporting, get in touch at info@gmap.com.
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