Source: Daily_Mail
On top of the world: But England's World Cup bid must hit right note
United by a passion for football, the country's most senior politicians and football administrators joined forces in pledging their support for the 2018 World Cup bid.
It was impressive stuff at Wembley, even if Gordon Brown did name Norman Hunter among the heroes of 1966 and gave Bobby Moore a posthumous knighthood. The Prime Minister and leaders of the opposition forgot about expenses for a few hours and instead put their considerable political weight behind Andy Anson's bid team.
'I'll do whatever I can to ensure we succeed,' said Mr Brown. For as long as he remains at No 10 anyway.
David Beckham echoed those sentiments in his new role as a bid vice-president but then had to sit through a re-run of his red card against Argentina in 1998 on the big screens.
But Beckham saw the funnyside and spoke of how being part of a successful bid would matchanything he achieved as a player.
'It would be a huge honour,' he said before launching his campaign for two million signatures to prove how much we want the tournament.
He did not say a great deal more because nobody at Wembley had the foresight to organise an interview with the national media. Another time, perhaps.
The sense of unity nevertheless remained interesting. Not least when it came to the subject of how best to seduce Sepp Blatter and 12 other members of the 24-man FIFA executive committee into voting for England in December next year.
If the bid team accept that Michel Platini will be in the ABE camp (Anyone But England), they have to target Blatter and Co.
The problem, however, comes down to this crazy six-plus-five business. Protecting the international game has become the FIFA president's obsession and he wants to limit foreign players in club sides even if it sends some of the most powerful into financial meltdown.
POTENTIAL HOST CITIES:
London: Stadia to feature include Emirates, Twickenham, new White Hart Lane and Stamford Bridge
Portsmouth: Plans for a new 45,000 stadium near Port Solent were put on hold last month but will be resurrected for 2018.
Bristol: London architects HOK were appointed in February to design a new 30,000 arena in the Ashton Vale area of the city.
Milton Keynes: The only town on the list already has a 22,000-capacity stadium that can be increased by 8,000 seats.
Birmingham: Villa Park is already one of the best grounds
in the country and has hosted FA Cup semi-finals with a 42,500 capacity.
Leicester: Walkers Stadium holds 32,500 and could be increased to 40,000 with another tier built on to the East Stand.
Derby: An additional tier on the North, East and South Stands at Pride Park would increase the capacity from 33,597 to 44,000.
Nottingham: A new 45,000 home for Forest is going to be built by 2014 in Clifton and is expected to be named the Brian Clough Arena.
Hull: The KC Stadium holds 24,404 and will be increased by 12,000 should Hull City remain in the Premier League.
Sheffield: United's Bramall Lane holds 32,702 or Wednesday's Hillsborough may be used with its 39,814 capacity.
Leeds: Showed their ability to host top-flight football when 37,000 turned up to watch the play-off with Millwall at Elland Road.
Manchester: Two world-class stadia are already in the city with Old Trafford (76,000) the biggest club ground in Britain.
Liverpool: Both Liverpool and Everton have plans to build new grounds before 2018, providing the economy picks up.
Sunderland: The Stadium of Light is easily enlarged. Holds 49,000 but can accommodate another 11,000 seats.
Newcastle: St James' Park is the third-biggest stadium in the country with a capacity of 52,000
If pressure appeared to be coming from the Government, and indeed from FA chairman Lord Triesman, to comply with Blatter's wishes, that did not seem the case.
Triesman and Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe would welcome a quota but are not prepared to meet Blatter's demands, even if it does cost England the World Cup.
Triesman actually said he welcomed proposals made by Premier
League chief executive Richard Scudamore last week. Scudamore thinks UEFA's four plus four model - four homegrown players and four association players in a squad of 25 - is a more realistic target.
Sutcliffe backed Triesman by insisting English clubs would not suffer in pursuit of the World Cup.
'We won't do anything on the bid that affects the future of the game in England,' he said.
It means the bid will have to be brilliant, drawing on the country's appetite for football.
The Championship, England's second league, is the fourth biggest in Europe in terms of attendances, bigger than Italy's Serie A.
'We're confident we'll deliver a top class technical bid,' said Anson, the bid chief executive and former Manchester United director. 'But we have to go beyond that.'
There was a heavy political presence, so much so that more air time had been given to Nick Clegg and David Cameron than to Martin Peters. But it is an ultra-political arena at FIFA HQ and there is much lobbying to be done.
RIVAL BIDS RUSSIA: Footballing powerhouse but has never hosted tournament.
HOLLAND/BELGIUM: Euro2000 hosts but FIFA are sceptical about joint bids.
SPAIN/PORTUGAL: Spain is prepared to marginalise Euro2004 host if needed.
MEXICO: Twice hosted tournament but has since built many new stadia.
USA: World Cup 94 host and has Obama support but still not a football nation.
AUSTRALIA: Growing enthusiasm for football and hosted Olympics in 2000.
JAPAN: Has the infrastructure but only recently hosted tournament, in 2002.
WHAT'S NEXT;
Dec 11, 2009: Deadline to submit bids.
May 14, 2010: Submission to FIFA of bid book and all other documents.
Dec 2010: 2018, 2022 hosts named.
Anson is right to shy away from the perceived arrogance of the
2006 bid, just as he is right to ditch the 'Football's Coming
Home' slogan.
The Premier League's current domination of the Champions League is making England unpopular enough. A bit of modesty and humility needs to be displayed.
If there is a weakness compared to the 2012 Olympic bid,it is the absence of a true figurehead. The Olympics had Lord Coe. But English football, as even Anson admitted, does not have anyone quite like that.
For that reason, he said, they will draw on a variety of different personalities as well as the power and influence of the Premier League.
'We have David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Sir Bobby Charlton, as well as people like Fabio Capello and Seb Coe,' said Anson.
It is exciting. Not least the prospect of what Mr Brown said could be 'the greatest decade in British sporting history'.
The Olympics in 2012 and World Cup in 2018, as well as the Commonwealth Games in 2014, the Rugby World Cup in 2015 and the Cricket World Cup in 2019, assuming all the outstanding bids are successful.
The Government has not yet pledged the £5million the bid team want them to pay towards the £15m total, even though Triesman reminded them again yesterday of the massive 'economic benefits' of hosting a World Cup.
