Newcastle and Gateshead launch bid to become World Cup host

Jul 8 2009 by Adam Jupp, The Journal

A CAMPAIGN aimed at bringing World Cup football to Tyneside officially kicked off yesterday.

Newcastle Gateshead wants to become a host city as part of Englands attempts to stage the 2018 or 2022 tournaments.

Sunderland is also bidding to hold group stage games if the FA is successful in securing the feast of football, which would see an estimated s25m injected into the North East economy.

The Newcastle Gateshead bid team yesterday held a Press conference at St Jamess Park to give details of their bid, which would see a number of fan parks and training camps set up at a range of locations across the North East. Newcastle United legend Peter Beardsley spoke of his memories of playing in two World Cup finals, as he urged the public to get behind the campaign.

And Mr Beardsley also revealed he has been helping troubled star Paul Gascoigne battle his demons and get himself fighting fit for Sir Bobby Robsons charity game on July 26. The event, which saw schoolchildren launch the bid with specially-branded scarves and T-shirts, was chaired by NewcastleGateshead Initiative chief executive Andrew Dixon. He said: Newcastle Gateshead has all the infrastructure in place to host world-class events of this scale.

With the cities profiled internationally to an estimated TV audience of 24bn people in 240 countries it would generate huge interest in Newcastle Gateshead, bringing a positive economic contribution to tourism for many years to come.

Newcastle City Council deputy leader David Faulkner, chair of the Champions Group set up to work on the bid, added: As chair of our group I am today urging others to come forward and back our bid. We will know in December which cities are to be chosen but we are not in competition with other English cities, the competition is international.

You will see our brand on the streets and will be able to download it from the NewcastleGateshead.com/2018 website.

Mr Beardsley added: I am biased but the people of the North East are special and there couldnt be a better place to hold World Cup football.

Back the bid at www.england2018bid.com.