Soccer

England host cities named for 2018 bid

Soccer – World Cup 2018 Bid: Derby, Leicester and Hull today missed out on selection as candidate host cities for England's …

Wed Dec 16 2009 - 00:00

Soccer – World Cup 2018 Bid:Derby, Leicester and Hull today missed out on selection as candidate host cities for England's 2018 World Cup bid.

England 2018 deputy chairman Lord Mawhinney announced the successful candidates, which included Milton Keynes, Plymouth and several venues yet to be built - possibly including the proposed new Tottenham and Liverpool grounds.

But Pride Park, the Walkers Stadium and KC Stadium will not host games if England's bid to stage the tournament is successful.

Mawhinney, the Football League chairman who headed the selection panel, said: "England is fortunate to have so many good stadia and I would like to congratulate all of the applicant host cities for the seven months of really hard work they have put in.

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"We have chosen cities which present the lowest possible risk to Fifa and it's Fifa who will make the final decision.

"There will also be a lot of disappointed football fans around the country I understand that - and if I was a fan of theirs I would be just as disappointed."

Mawhinney named 16 venues across 12 different cities, with four in London.

However, Fifa regulations state only three stadia can be used in any one city, with a decision to be made between the new White Hart Lane or Olympic Stadium.

White Hart Lane is one of the stadia yet to be built or redeveloped, with the others being Ashton Vale stadium in Bristol and Nottingham's Forest's new ground.

Mawhinney also revealed that Anfield or "new Anfield" would be used.

There had been fears that Liverpool would miss out but Mawhinney said either Anfield or a new Anfield would be a host stadium.

Mawhinney added: "It would have been very hard to envisage an impressive World Cup bid with host cities that did not include iconic Liverpool."

England’s World Cup 2018 Stadia Bid:

Bristol - new Ashton Vale stadium
Birmingham - Villa Park
Leeds - Elland Road
Liverpool - Anfield or new Anfield
London - Emirates Stadium
London - new White Hart Lane or Olympic Stadium
London - Wembley Stadium
Manchester - City of Manchester Stadium
Manchester - Old Trafford
Milton Keynes - Stadium MK
Newcastle/Gateshead - St James' Park
Nottingham - new Nottingham Forest stadium
Plymouth - Home Park
Sheffield - Hillsborough
Sunderland - Stadium of Light