By Duncan Mackay
December 14 – The cities and towns bidding to be part of England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup were today beginning to make their final presentations in the hope of convincing officials that they should be chosen.
By Duncan Mackay
December 14 – Jeff Kennett (pictured), one of Australia’s most prominent politicians and now the President of leading Australian Football League (AFL) club Hawthorn, has warned that the organisers behind the country’s bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup are prepared to chase their dream at the expense of everyone else.
December 14 – Stoke City have become the first Premier League club to publicly declare that they are prepared to financially back England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup with a donation of £250,000.
.jpg)
By Duncan Mackay
December 13 – Ronald De Boer (pictured right), the former Barcelona and Holland star, said that he is supporting Qatar’s bid to host the 2022 World Cup because he believes the tiny country on the Arabian Peninsula can put on the best tournament.
By Duncan Mackay
December 13 – The row between the rival codes will not be allowed to overshadow the country’s bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, the head of Football Federation Australia (FFA) Ben Buckley (pictured) promised today.
.jpg)
December 12 – New Zealand have opened discussions with international officials about retaining the present system of World Cup qualification for the 2014 tournament that would see them trying to reach Brazil via the Asian route.
December 12 – Hull City’s future could depend on the KC Stadium being chosen to be one of the venues for the 2018 World Cup if England’s bid is successful, the club’s chairman Adam Pearson has claimed.
By Duncan Mackay
December 11 – Franz Beckenbauer (pictured) has again praised Australia’s bid to host the World Cup but warned, that with the 2018 tournament set to come back to Europe, then 2022 is a more realistic opportunity.
December 11 – England coach Fabio Capello (pictured) is paid more than any other manager at next summer’s World Cup, according to a report published today.
By Tom Degun
December 10 – England is perfectly placed to stage the 2018 World Cup, former West Ham United and Charlton Athletic manager Alan Curbishley (pictured) has claimed.
By Duncan Mackay
December 9 – Baroness Valerie Amos (pictured), Britain’s High Commissioner to Australia, has risked upsetting her hosts by publicly claiming that England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup is much stronger than any of its rivals, including Australia’s.
By Duncan Mackay
December 8 – Japan’s Government has promised to support the country’s bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup but will not provide any state funding they said today.
December 7 – Michael Bloomberg (pictured), the Mayor of New York City, has joined the Board of the USA Bid Committee for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup, taking his place alongside a high-powered group that also includes Arnold Schwarzenegger and Henry Kissinger.
By David Owen in Cape Town
December 8 – FIFA needs to move decisively to claim Asia as “football territory”, according to Frank Lowy (pictured), the Football Federation Australia (FFA) chairman.
.jpg)
By Duncan Mackay in London
December 7 – Prime Minister Gordon Brown has held talks at Downing Street with Dr Mong-Joon Chung (pictured middle), a FIFA vice-president, to help promote England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup.