arwebb Posted July 22, 2006 Report Share Posted July 22, 2006 As you may know from the 'Confirm Bids' topic, I have agreed to take over the England 2018 World Cup bid, as Rob has other commitments that are stopping him from seeing the bid through to the end. Details of the revisions I will be making to the bid will be posted here in due course. But, before then, this is why I believe England is the best, even the only choice, for the World Cup of 2018. England gave this great game of football to the world. England is the home of football. And yet, by the time 2018 comes round, it will have been more than half a century since these shores last hosted the World Cup, and over 20 years since England staged its last major football championship, Euro 96. It is time, once again, for football to come home. Other nations may offer bigger, brighter stadia. Some may draw on the pull of taking football's greatest showcase to new lands. But England is unique. England can provide both the nostalgic and the futuristic, the modern and the traditional within the stunning backdrop that arguably the biggest sporting event staged on this planet deserves. As an Englishman, I am intensely proud of our traditions in football and how the sport has grown over time. But, most of all, I am proud of football, a sport that is enjoyed by young and old, men, women and children all over the world, regardless of race, colour or creed. In order to understand and appreciate what we have become, we must sometimes look back to where we came from. Let's bring the World Cup back to football's roots. Let's bring the beautiful game home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted July 22, 2006 Report Share Posted July 22, 2006 Am just skimming thru this thread. Not taking it seriously. But you'll mainly have to worry about Brazil. Their stadia may finally be ready for 2018; so they'll be England's main competition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwebb Posted July 22, 2006 Report Share Posted July 22, 2006 If you want 2014 that badly, you'll just have to go without another one for 50 odd years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwebb Posted July 22, 2006 Report Share Posted July 22, 2006 Tournament venues A World Cup naturally requires the best possible venues. The stadia of England 2018 will combine the state of the art and the modern stadia with traditional grounds which have been substantially redeveloped over the past few years and will see further improvements in the years ahead. England 2018 will provide 12 host stadia, each with a minimum capacity of 40,000 spectators. Six of the grounds will be able to host over 50,000 people with four of those having capacities of at least 60,000. Each of them will provide their own unique backdrop to the greatest tournament in football. Wembley Stadium, London Arguably the most iconic venue in world football, the new Wembley Stadium is expected to open in the spring of 2007, following a protracted building programme and opening a new chapter in the history of this legendary sporting arena. The original stadium opened in 1923, when an estimated 200,000 people were kept under control by a single white horse at the ground's first FA Cup final between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United. The game later became known as 'The White Horse Final'. From those memorable beginnings, Wembley became a theatre where countless legends were created. In 1948, the stadium hosted track and field athletics as London hosted the first Olympic Games since the end of the Second World War. In 1966, the late Bobby Moore led England to World Cup triumph on home soil. And in 1985, it was a Wembley crowd who helped to lead the message of help and support to the people of Ethiopia when the stadium staged one of the two Live Aid concerts. The last occasion staged at the old venue was in October 2000, when England hosted Germany in a World Cup qualifier. The new, 90,000 capacity stadium, complete with its 133 metre tall arch, will host the Olympic football finals in 2012, when London hosts the Games for the first time since 1948. And, as in 1966, Wembley would stage both the opening game and the final of the 2018 World Cup. Taking shape - the new Wembley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwebb Posted July 22, 2006 Report Share Posted July 22, 2006 Old Trafford, Manchester Home to perhaps the world's most famous football club, Manchester United, Old Trafford has seen substantial redevelopment in recent years. Current work has seen the capacity of the stadium increase to 76,000 spectators, making it the biggest sporting arena in Britain, outside London. Like the club who play there, the ground has a long and illustrious history. Manchester United first played at Old Trafford in February 1910. The ground hosted group matches in the 1966 World Cup and a semi-final of Euro 96. Since then, the stadium has also staged the Champions League final of 2003 between AC Milan and Juventus, as well as rugby league's Super League grand final every year since 1998 and the rugby league World Cup final in 2000. Should England be chosen as hosts of World Cup 2018, Old Trafford would be a venue for five matches, including one of the semi-finals. Old Trafford Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafa Posted July 22, 2006 Report Share Posted July 22, 2006 olympic games welcome back home..i mean fifa world cup..welcome back home...no wait..welcome to where it all started.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwebb Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 Anfield, Liverpool The name may be the same, the area familiar, but the stadium will be completely different. The current Anfield ground, which has staged football for more than 125 years and been home to Liverpool Football Club since 1892, will be replaced by a new, 60,000 capacity stadium which would host one of the quarter-finals. Planning permission for the new ground was granted in May 2004, and discussions remain ongoing to raise the necessary funding for the project. The current stadium, which houses 45,000 spectators, will be redeveloped for community facilities. Existing memorials to legendary managers Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley, as well as the 96 victims of the Hillsborough stadium tragedy of April 1989 will be incorporated within the new development, as well as a memorial garden, remembering those people who have had their ashes scattered on the pitch at the current ground. New Anfield olympic games welcome back home..i mean fifa world cup..welcome back home...no wait..welcome to where it all started.. Forgive me if I'm being thick here, but what's your point? Ashburton Grove, London The new home of Arsenal opened its doors in July 2006. The £390 million, 60,000 capacity Emirates Stadium has been built just a short distance away from the club's former home at Highbury. The first game at the new ground saw Arsenal face Dutch giants Ajax in a testamonial for retiring Dutch star Dennis Bergkamp. The stadium will stage five matches if England are chosen as 2018 hosts, culminating with a quarter-final. Dennis Bergkamp testimonial photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwebb Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 St James' Park, Newcastle There are few more fanatical areas of enthusiasm for football in the world than the north-east of England. And if football is a religion, St James' Park is its cathedral in Newcastle. More than 52,000 people pack this historic ground every matchday. And, having cheered the exploits of legends such as Jackie Milburn, Malcolm MacDonald and Alan Shearer down the years, Newcastle will once again delight in the exploits of new legends come 2018. Football has been played at the site since 1880. The ground was substantially redeveloped following a takeover of the club by businessman Sir John Hall in early 1992. The initial result was a fully enclosed, 37,000 capacity ground. Then, when plans for a new 55,000 capacity stadium in nearby Leazes Park fell through, capacity was further increased to the current 52,387 by adding new seating to the Gallowgate End and Sir John Hall Stand. Remarkably, St James' Park did not stage games when England last hosted the World Cup in 1966, because of a dispute between Newcastle United and planning officials over proposed redevelopments. Games were subsequently held at Roker Park in Sunderland and Ayresome Park in Middlesbrough, both venues which have now been lost to football. Newcastle gained some payback in 1996, when it was one of the eight stadia which hosted matches in that year's European Championship. In 2018, the ground would stage five games, including a second round tie. Modern St James' Park Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafa Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwebb Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 Villa Park, Birmingham England's second city will stage the World Cup's third and fourth placed play-off. A venue for football as the home of Aston Villa since 1897, Villa Park has staged more than 20 FA Cup semi-finals and was the host stadium for the last ever European Cup Winners Cup final in May 1999. when Italian side Lazio defeated Real Mallorca of Spain. The ground, which hosted quarter-final matches when England staged both the 1966 World Cup and the 1996 European Championship, will see capacity increased from the current 42,573 to around 51,000. This will be achieved by filling in the open corners alongside the North Stand. Planning permission has already been granted for the development. Villa Park Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aronious Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 Is there room around St.James to achieve such a development? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwebb Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 Stadium of Light, Sunderland Widely regarded as one of the best stadia in Europe, Sunderland's Stadium of Light was opened in July 1997 with a match between the Wearside club and Dutch giants Ajax. The stadium, which had an initial capacity of 42,000, was later extended to its current capacity of 49,000. The ground, whose name is connected to the area's long industrial past and replaced the former Roker Park, staged its first England international in 2000, when Belgium were the visitors. Three years later, Turkey were the first visitors to the stadium for a competitive international, a game which England won 2-0 on the road to Euro 2004 qualification. Should England be chosen to be the 2018 host nation, the Stadium of Light will host five matches, including a second round tie. Stadium of Light Mo Rush, I haven't heard of any further expansion plans at Newcastle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwebb Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester Known to many as Eastlands, the City of Manchester Stadium was originally built as the centrepiece of the city's successful bid to stage the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Then with a capacity of 38,000, the stadium staged the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, track and field athletics and the Rugby Sevens events. Following the Games, the running track was removed, the pitch level lowered by 10 metres and new seating added. The result was the current 48,000 seater stadium which has been home of Manchester City Football Club since 2003. The stadium has also hosted England internationals, the opening game of the 2005 Women's European Championship, rugby league internationals and concerts by the likes of Oasis and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. In 2018, the ground would host group games and one of the second round ties. City of Manchester Stadium Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwebb Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 Is there room around St.James to achieve such a development? I don't think there is, hence the investigations of relocating away from St James' Park a few years ago. Besides which, I'm fairly sure that, if Newcastle United could develop the ground in the way that picture suggests, they would, and they would fill it, given the passion of the support up there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwebb Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 Hillsborough, Sheffield Another of English football's great traditional venues, Hillsborough has been the home of Sheffield Wednesday since 1899. The ground has hosted 28 FA Cup semi-finals in its history, as well as matches at both the 1966 World Cup and Euro 96. But, it was this ground which also witnessed the game's darkest ever day. On Saturday April 15th 1989, during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, 96 Liverpool supporters were crushed to death in the Leppings Lane End of the ground. It remains the worst stadium disaster this country has ever seen, and a memorial to the victims stands outside the ground. But it was that tragedy which indirectly gave the game in England the spectacular modern stadia it has today. Following the events of that day, Lord Justice Taylor, later to be made Lord Chief Justice, called for all stadia of clubs in the top two divisions to become all-seater, sparking rebuilding work at grounds up and down the country. Hillsborough was no exception, and the ground is now a modern all-seater stadium, with a capacity of just under 40,000 and its historic character maintained. Work will be undertaken to install the extra seats necessary for World Cup matches. Hillsborough, Sheffield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafa Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 love the manchester stadium....increase capacity please please please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwebb Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 Which one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwebb Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 Pride Park, Derby A world away from the old Baseball Ground, Derby County's home for more than a century, the Pride Park Stadium was opened by Her Majesty the Queen in the summer of 1997. The initial 30,000 capacity was increased to around 34,000 shortly afterwards. Further work will be undertaken to increase the ground's capacity to around 42,000 for World Cup matches to be staged at the ground. The stadium has previous experience of staging international matches. A crowd of almost 34,000 saw England beat Mexico 4-0 there in May 2001, while an Under-21 match against France in February 1999 attracted a then record crowd for an under-21 game in this country of 32,865. The stadium was also included in the nominated list of venues for England's bid to stage the 2006 World Cup and will stage matches when England hosts the European Under-21 Championships next year. Pride Park, Derby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwebb Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 Madejski Stadium, Reading Another of England's new stadia built in the late 1990s, the Madejski Stadium was the vision of Reading Football Club chairman John Madejski. The stadium, which currently holds around 24,000 fans, is home to both Reading and London Irish rugby union club, and will stage Premiership football for the first time ever this season, as Reading play in English football's top division for the first time in their 135 year history. Should England be named as the host nation for World Cup 2018, the Madejski Stadium will host group matches in the finals tournament. Plans have already been drawn up that will see the stadium capacity increased from its current level to 40,000 fans. Planning applications may be submitted as early as next summer. The site will also see a new railway station built, easing traffic congestion on matchdays. The stadium has already staged England Under-21 matches and the B International against Belarus in May 2006. Madejski Stadium, Reading Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwebb Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 Ashton Gate, Bristol An England World Cup would be the catalyst for senior international football to be staged, for the first time ever, in the south-west region of the country. The venue for these games will be a completely rebuilt Ashton Gate in Bristol. Home of Bristol City Football Club since 1900, the current 21,000 capacity ground is set to be transformed. Existing plans for a new 30,000 capacity at the ground will be upgraded, and a new 41,000 capacity stadium will be built in a staged re-development of the site. The current Ashton Gate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r0w Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Are these the actual stadiums we are going to use or is that just a prediction? Because I cant imagine them using Hilsborough and Bristol, when there are so many better options! Some of these stadiums listed are pretty ugly(remember those futuristic stadiums in japan and korea?). I cant believe no one has suggested the new stadium being built in milton keynes!? it looks gorgeous and will hold 30,000 and could be easily upgraded to 40,000...plus MK is a clean, modern city and is the fastest growing in the UK. Southampton's ground should also be an option with it being modern, easily upgradable to 40,000+, In a nice area by the seaside etc.... I also think that if they use St. James Park in Newcastle it would need a lot of work taken out on it.... yes i know it has a good capacity but it is SO lob-sided with one half looking like the San Siro and the other half looking like Highbury! Anyway i reckon: London - Wembley 90,000 - Emirates Stadium 60,000 Manchester - Old Trafford 76,000 (probably upgraded to 90,000 by 2018) - City Of Manchester Stadium 48,000 Liverpool - New Anfield 61,000 Sunderland - Stadium of Light 49,000 Newcastle - St. James Park 52,000 (revamp or build them a new modern stadium for 2018) Birmingham - Villa Park 43,000 (52,000 by 2018) Milton Keynes - New Stadium 30,000 (at least 40,000 for 2018) Southampton - St. Marys Stadium - 32,000 (at least 40,000 for 2018) Leeds - Elland Road 40,000 (needs total revamping, or new stadium) Derby - Pride Park 34,000 (at least 40,000 for 2018) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwebb Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Are these the actual stadiums we are going to use or is that just a prediction? Because I cant imagine them using Hilsborough and Bristol, when there are so many better options! Some of these stadiums listed are pretty ugly(remember those futuristic stadiums in japan and korea?). I cant believe no one has suggested the new stadium being built in milton keynes!? it looks gorgeous and will hold 30,000 and could be easily upgraded to 40,000...plus MK is a clean, modern city and is the fastest growing in the UK. Southampton's ground should also be an option with it being modern, easily upgradable to 40,000+, In a nice area by the seaside etc.... I also think that if they use St. James Park in Newcastle it would need a lot of work taken out on it.... yes i know it has a good capacity but it is SO lob-sided with one half looking like the San Siro and the other half looking like Highbury!Anyway i reckon: London - Wembley 90,000 - Emirates Stadium 60,000 Manchester - Old Trafford 76,000 (probably upgraded to 90,000 by 2018) - City Of Manchester Stadium 48,000 Liverpool - New Anfield 61,000 Sunderland - Stadium of Light 49,000 Newcastle - St. James Park 52,000 (revamp or build them a new modern stadium for 2018) Birmingham - Villa Park 43,000 (52,000 by 2018) Milton Keynes - New Stadium 30,000 (at least 40,000 for 2018) Southampton - St. Marys Stadium - 32,000 (at least 40,000 for 2018) Leeds - Elland Road 40,000 (needs total revamping, or new stadium) Derby - Pride Park 34,000 (at least 40,000 for 2018) This is simply my own thoughts. Some of the older style football grounds in this country have wonderful heritage, which is why I have included them. Somewhere like the City Ground in Nottingham, though I haven't included it in this list, is just a beautiful ground to watch football with a superb location right next to the river. I hope they get back up and increase the capacity so it could be used in a bid, because it would be a real shame if we couldn't use it at all. And somewhere like Hillsborough, despite that one horrendous day in 1989, just oozes tradition and history as well as being an excellent, modern football stadium. I have sat in the Leppings Lane End twice in recent years and, despite the memories it evokes for many people, I think you will find few better away stands in the country. Plus, the transport links to Hillsborough, with the tram network in particular, are far better than to either Bramall Lane or Elland Road, which I also considered. Yes, I know that grounds like St James Park may look strange and unbalanced, but that, to me, is part of their charm. Sometimes, you just get bored of seeing all these new stadia which, while they are all very nice and comfortable, do not evoke the memories that somewhere like St James Park or Anfield and other older grounds do. I think it is vitally important that we can take international football to the south-west for the first time and re-developing Ashton Gate would be a vehicle to doing that. Southampton would also be an option for hosting matches, but with its and Reading's close proximity to London, I felt I had to choose one or the other for the host cities to be balanced up with the rest of the country. At the moment, given the moves towards further development, I think Reading is a better option. And, with the greatest of respect to Milton Keynes , most football fans will not accept a stadium in Milton Keynes being involved in a bid, for the simple reason of the club who play there and the selling of the game's soul their move from their natural home represented. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafa Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 I was referring to the city of manchester stadium...its very limited in terms of any expansion without removing the roof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 This is simply my own thoughts. Some of the older style football grounds in this country have wonderful heritage, which is why I have included them. Somewhere like the City Ground in Nottingham, though I haven't included it in this list, is just a beautiful ground to watch football with a superb location right next to the river. I hope they get back up and increase the capacity so it could be used in a bid, because it would be a real shame if we couldn't use it at all.And somewhere like Hillsborough, despite that one horrendous day in 1989, just oozes tradition and history as well as being an excellent, modern football stadium. I have sat in the Leppings Lane End twice in recent years and, despite the memories it evokes for many people, I think you will find few better away stands in the country. Plus, the transport links to Hillsborough, with the tram network in particular, are far better than to either Bramall Lane or Elland Road, which I also considered. Yes, I know that grounds like St James Park may look strange and unbalanced, but that, to me, is part of their charm. Sometimes, you just get bored of seeing all these new stadia which, while they are all very nice and comfortable, do not evoke the memories that somewhere like St James Park or Anfield and other older grounds do. I think it is vitally important that we can take international football to the south-west for the first time and re-developing Ashton Gate would be a vehicle to doing that. Southampton would also be an option for hosting matches, but with its and Reading's close proximity to London, I felt I had to choose one or the other for the host cities to be balanced up with the rest of the country. At the moment, given the moves towards further development, I think Reading is a better option. And, with the greatest of respect to Milton Keynes , most football fans will not accept a stadium in Milton Keynes being involved in a bid, for the simple reason of the club who play there and the selling of the game's soul their move from their natural home represented. Is that your whole life? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwebb Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 The universe and everything as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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