Source: Daily_Mail
Niall Quinn hopes World Cup bid boosted after Fifa delegation visit to north east
Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn is hoping England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup is not scuppered by a penalty miss.[LNB]The former Republic of Ireland international welcomed the FIFA inspectors to a sun-bathed Stadium of Light this morning and got them involved in an impromptu shoot-out on the pitch.[LNB]However, Quinn's own audacious effort sailed over the bar to the amusement of both the delegates and watching local children as Wearside rolled out the red carpet.[LNB] The big sell: Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn talks with Leader of Fifa Inspection team Harold Mayne Nicholls[LNB]Quinn said: 'It's funny - they have been travelling around visiting stadium, visiting hotels, visiting base camps and getting a lot of stuff like that done.[LNB]'All of a sudden, there's a chance to kick a ball into a net and their eyes lit up.[LNB]'Unfortunately, I couldn't follow them on. I took a terrible penalty myself. It gave them something to laugh about, anyway.'[LNB]The shoot-out was the less formal side of proceedings for the delegation, who touched down on Wearside by helicopter shortly after their scheduled 8.47am arrival time.[LNB]They were shown around the stadium by Quinn and fellow bid team members Steve Cram and Sunderland Council leader Paul Watson before heading off to do the same at Newcastle's St James' Park.[LNB] Enlarge Enlarge Spot on? Quinn's penalty effort sailed miles over the bar [LNB]Quinn later admitted he was no closer to knowing how the bid was going, but was more cautions that deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, who earlier this week described England's case as 'unbeatable'.[LNB]Quinn said: 'The passion for it hopefully will be paramount in their minds when they sit down and write their reports and they say, 'Hey, do you know something, those people up in the north-east, they wanted this so badly, they prepared and they ticked the right boxes'.[LNB]'Have we done that? I can't possibly say. I certainly wouldn't be as confident as the deputy prime minister - that's not the way we should be thinking.[LNB]'There will be more work to be done between now and the first week in December.'[LNB]Former middle-distance star Cram, who represented Great Britain with such distinction at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, was cautiously optimistic too that the people of his native north-east could help sway the decision.[LNB] Enlarge Overview: Niall Quinn leads the delegation around the Stadium of Light pitch[LNB]He said: 'We hope we can convince them that the World Cup would come here and the people would go away thinking, 'That was a great World Cup'. That's what you are trying to deliver.[LNB]'The stadia are very important, but it is what happens inside that counts and the atmosphere that's created. That's what really changes it.'[LNB] EXCLUSIVE: Wenger - Why it's time England hosted the World Cup againManchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is backing England's World Cup 2018 bidCharles Sale: Will Clegg's rash boast be own goal in England's 2018 bid?England's 2018 rivals Russia hit by race storm over Odemwingie banner[LNB] [LNB]
