Darlington FC back Sunderland World Cup bid

Sep 29 2009 by Adam Jupp, The Journal

PLANS to bring World Cup football to Wearside have won the backing of another North East club.

Sunderland wants to be included in England’s application to host the 2018 or 2022 tournaments, which is set to be submitted to global soccer chiefs in the coming months.

Officials need to show there is widespread support for their efforts across the North East, with amenities across the region set to be used if the bid is successful.

And now Darlington Football Club, whose home stadium would be used as a training camp, has thrown its weight behind the case for Sunderland.

Chairman Raj Singh yesterday backed the bid, along with the club’s players, who took a break from training to get behind the campaign.

Mr Singh pointed to the £25m boost the region would get if the festival of football came here.

He said: “This bid is not only vital for North East football but also the economy.

“We all love football, and it would be wonderful for the country to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018. We can all play our part in trying to bring the world to us and, as a club, it would be an honour to be a part of the tournament.

“It is really important the England 2018 team appreciates how much this region wants to welcome the world in 2018, so I urge everyone to log onto www.sunderland2018bid.com and show their support for this great campaign.”