I can remember the excitement of the people. It was unforgettable. Fast forward 52 years to 2018 and the chance is there for it to happen again.

Among the bid criteria are the if stadium can hold a minimum of 40,000 people, if there is enough hotel accommodation for teams, officials and fans in the region, if there are good travel links as well as training facilities and potential base camps for national teams.

Mr Quinn said: In the Stadium of Light and the Academy of Light in particular, we have some of the best sporting stadia and training facilities in England, if not the world and I know that weve got what it takes to be a host city.

Promotional activities will be taking place across the city in the coming months to support the bid, kicking off with school pupils in Sunderland submitting letters and pictures to show The FA what hosting World Cup matches would mean to them. Pupils from Dame Dorothy Primary School in Sunderland helped launch the bid yesterday.

Mr Quinn added: I want them to be left under no illusion that the event would be all the poorer if it didnt come here.

BY logging on to www.sunderland2018bid.com, and selecting Sunderland as preferred host city, members of the public can show The FA that they want Sunderland to host matches in the World Cup in 2018.

A Back the Bid book will also be available to be signed in key locations around Sunderland, including the City Library, Civic Centre and the Stadium of Light.

Past masters

IN 1966 when England last hosted the World Cup the then home of Sunderland, Roker Park, was chosen as a venue alongside Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough, for the group which included the Soviet Union, Italy, Chile and North Korea.

Roker Park was also the venue of the quarter-final match between the Soviet Union and Hungary, pictured, which the Soviet Union won 2-1.

Back the bid at www.england2018bid.com.