England 2018 Bid Reveals Host Cities And Stadia

Milton Keynes and Plymouth were the surprise inclusions after the England 2018 World Cup bid team unveiled the 12 host cities and corresponding stadia that will make up its bid document.

A total of 17 stadia will be proposed to FIFA with a final choice of venues to be made in 2013, should England’s bid be successful.

Applications from Derby, Hull and Leicester were rejected while Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Nottingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and Sunderland joined Plymouth and Milton Keynes as part of the bid.

England will find out if their bid to host the World Cup is successful in December 2010.

Although they are not guaranteed to host World Cup matches in the event of a successful bid, the decision represents something of a coup for Milton Keynes after the local team MK Dons were formed in controversial circumstances.

In 2002 Wimbledon FC, based in south west London, were given permission to move the club 70 miles to Milton Keynes. The move was made early in the 2003/04 season, with the name change made in June 2004.

At the time, the club cited financial reasons for the relocation but it angered many of the club’s existing fans.

MK Dons chairman Pete Winkelman said: ‘We’re still very much a work in progress but I really think that the World Cup can re-enforce that agenda that we have got for growth and I think it will be really great for Milton Keynes.

‘We have work to do on the stadium, yes, but the certainty and deliverability we have got – look how far we have come in the last few years – really gives people confidence that we can deliver.

‘Milton Keynes has made a huge investment in football and is a great testament to how important football is in communities across England.

‘The most important thing is simply that England win the rights to host the World Cup and just to be part of that process is a huge thing.’

The Liverpool bid suffered a blow on the applications deadline day in November when the government backed a decision to refuse planning permission for Everton’s new stadium at Kirkby.

However, Anfield – or a new Anfield, should it be far enough along the planning and building process – will figure in England’s bid ‘not because it is an iconic football city, but because it has a stadium we feel will strengthen the bid,’ said Football League and selection panel chairman Lord Mawhinney.

Three stadia will be forwarded from London – Wembley Stadium, Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium and either the Olympic Stadium or Tottenham’s yet-to-be-built new ground.

The other stadia will be Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, Villa Park in Birmingham, the new Nottingham Forest stadium, Elland Road in Leeds, Sheffield’s Hillsborough stadium, St James’ Park in Newcastle, the new Ashton Vale stadium in Bristol, Plymouth’s Home Park, and Old Trafford and the City of Manchester Stadium.

‘I have no doubt that this process has strengthened our bid considerably,’ said Mahwinney.

‘There is a temptation to think of bids in terms of just stadia but we have spent a long time talking about travelling, accommodation and security and the decision we have made constitutes a composite of all the criteria that goes towards what makes a good host city.

‘The choices we made represented our best judgement of the strongest possible combination to give England’s bid the strongest attraction compared to other countries’ bids for 2010.

‘We always made it clear we aspired to having a wider geographical spread. We have some world famous stadia and the world would not understand if we didn’t put them in the bid, (but) we felt we should have a sprinkling of tomorrow as well.

‘We, as a bid team, are looking forward. We wanted to say to FIFA: ‘We are looking at legacy and legacy is about tomorrow’.

‘We heard enough about the new stadiums to put them on the list and we hope that will give local people the confidence to deliver them.’

England 2018 bid host cities and stadia:
Birmingham (Villa Park)
Bristol (New Ashton Gate)
Leeds (Elland Road)
Liverpool (Anfield or new Anfield)
London (Wembley, Emirates & Olympic Stadium or new Tottenham stadium)
Milton Keynes (Stadium:mk)
Nottingham (new Forest ground)
Manchester (Old Trafford & City of Manchester Stadium)
Newcastle (St James’ Park)
Plymouth (Home Park)
Sheffield (Hillsborough)
Sunderland (Stadium of Light)