Beckham And Barnes Join 2018 World Cup Bid

Former England captain David Beckham and ex-international winger John Barnes have been named as vice-presidents of England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup.

The pair will support the newly formed executive board as vice-presidents ahead of the final vote to be made by FIFA in 2011.

Former Liverpool star Barnes was recently appointed manager of Jamaica, where he was born, while LA Galaxy midfielder Beckham is still a member of manager Fabio Capello’s England squad and looking to add to his 107 caps.

Further vice-presidents will soon be announced and the appointments of Beckham and Barnes reflect an initial wave of ambassadorial roles as England 2018 Ltd, the company responsible for the bid, continues its preparations.

The FA is currently looking to recruit a full-time chief executive for the bid and has already named the members of its board.

Labour peer Baroness Amos was the most recent recruit to the board which will be chaired by FA chairman Lord Triesman.

Lord Mawhinney, now chairman of the Football League, will be vice-chairman, with sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe and his predecessor, Richard Caborn – the Prime Minister’s World Cup ambassador – completing the politicial element of the committee. Caborn will attend board meetings but will not have a vote.

The five will be joined by Manchester United chief executive David Gill, who will represent the Premier League as a vice-chairman.

Tottenham director Sir Keith Mills, who was deputy chairman of the London 2012 Olympic bid, has also been approached, as has Martin Sorrell, chairman of advertising giant WPP.

England hosted the World Cup in 1966, the only time they have won the tournament, but failed with a bid to host the 2006 World Cup, which was held in Germany.

The 2010 World Cup is being held in South Africa and will move to Brazil for 2014.