Milton Keynes and Plymouth get nod for World Cup 2018
Milton Keynes and Plymouth are the surprise names to have been accepted as candidate hosts for England’s campaign to stage the 2018 World Cup.
At the end of November, 15 cities submitted applications to the FA in a bid to host matches, should England win the right to be the home nation in nine years time.
Today the FA has announced the lucky eleven cities which have been accepted and will be proposed to the FIFA senior board members in order to stage matches in the 2018 event.
It is believed the world’s governing body will make their final decision in late 2010 on which stadiums will get the right to stage matches – as the campaign hots up.
Milton Keynes’ MK Stadium (pictured) and Plymouth’s Home Park are the surprising venues to be on the list given their relatively smaller capacity sized stadium than some of their rivals.
Apllications from Derby, Hull and Leicester were rejected, which will surely be a huge disappointment to each of them cities after making strong cases last month.
Three London stadiums are likely to be proposed choosing three from Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, Wembley, the new Olympic Stadium or Tottenhams new ground.
Both Man Utd’s and Man City’s stadiums will also be prooposed to FIFA.
Also given the green light are Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, Villa Park in Birmingham, Elland Road in Leeds, Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, St James’ Park in Newcastle, Nottingham Forest’s new stadium and Bristol’s new Ashton Vale complex.
Liverpool’s current Anfield or ‘New Anfiled’ will also be in the plans.
Football League and Selection Panel chairman Lord Mawhinney said: “I have no doubt this process has strenghtened our bid considerably.
“There is a temptation to think of bids in terms of just stadia but we have spent a long time talking about travelling, accomodation and security and the decision we have made constitutes a composite of all the criteria that goes towards what makes a good host city.”
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