London submits bid for England 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup™
26 November 09
A total of 4 stadia have been put forward in London’s host city submission including the iconic Wembley Stadium, London’s Olympic Stadium, Arsenal’s Emirates and the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
An amateur football team who regularly play in Hyde Park, this morning represented the capital’s football fans as they presented London’s host city bid to England 2018 officials at Wembley Stadium. London’s submission is centred on a “Park Life” theme which emphasises the passion that Londoners have for football and the huge number of parks in the capital which become impromptu football pitches every day of the year.
London presents the ultimate welcome to the World Cup for any qualifying country as the city has a community from every one of FIFA’s 208 nations.
London’s bid featured four London stadiums including Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, the Olympic Stadium (due for completion in 2011), the planned new Tottenham Hotspur stadium as well as the iconic Wembley Stadium, in addition to 12 venues specific training site and 14 team base camps.
Although not officially confirmed until today, Twickenham, usually known for hosting world-class Rugby has been included in London’s bid as a showcase training venue to host open training sessions.
London’s multiple stadia approach hopes to ensure that as many Londoners and visitors are engaged across the whole city. With Wembley in the west, Stratford in the east and Arsenal and Tottenham’s venues in the north, the bid proposal reflects not only the capital’s offer of outstanding venues but also supports the host city themes of ‘spread and engagement’. All stadia which have been put forward have to adhere to FIFA rules and should offer a net capacity of 40,000 up to the quarter-finals, 60,000 for semi-finals and 80,000 for the final.
The proposals also highlight the range of high quality accommodation or team base camp training grounds at iconic venues such as Stamford Bridge and world-class hotels such as The Grove and Penny Hill Park. London’s bid also includes brand new sporting venues including the multi-million pound Surrey Sports Park, owned by the University of Surrey, which is due to open early next year.
During the bidding process and for the first time ever, London’s highly competitive 13 professional football clubs (+ Watford FC and Wycombe Wanderers FC) have united to work with the London Mayor’s office to develop targeted and innovative legacy plans with the aim of engaging otherwise hard-to-reach audiences across all 33 boroughs in London. London’s bid has also been backed by both private and public sector funding.
Simon Greenberg, Chair of the London United Group said:
“The aim of London’s host city proposal to England 2018 and FIFA has been to unite and engage the city, its stadia and venues, its green and iconic spaces, its football clubs, diverse communities and cultural offering – to deliver a true festival of sport and culture that spreads from east to west, and north to south. London United’s World Cup proposal aims to engage audiences beyond the stadia and beyond football whilst spreading the sporting and cultural benefits of the World Cup throughout the city. London’s bid ensures that people from all demographics groups can actively participate.”
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson added:
“The joy that Londoners derive from watching and playing football is evident in every corner of the capital. It is part of the city’s DNA. From some of the world’s best teams at one end to the jumpers-for-goalposts kickabout in the park at the other, we live and breathe the sport. That’s why I believe London’s bid to become a major host city venue in the 2018 World Cup is an incredibly strong one.”
Underpinning the proposal is London’s host concept ‘PARKLIFE’ and London’s multiple stadium strategy. The ‘PARK LIFE’ theme is integral to London’s bid and is the creative used for the campaign, designed to utilise the tradition of the classic kick-around enjoyed by young children and adults throughout their lives in any of the 3,704 London parks and open spaces.
If England wins the honour of hosting the FIFA World Cup™ in 2018 or 2022, Wembley will stage the opening game and final. 16 cities in total are in the running for the eleven places to become host cities for matches and key FIFA events. England 2018 will make a final decision on the host cities on the 16th December 2009. London is hopeful to play a central role in England’s bid to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup™.
Notes to Editors
London United
London’s bid has been co-ordinated by London United. London United is the group of the capital’s stakeholders who are committed to delivering the most compelling, technically superior and imaginative application for London to be a host city for 2018/22. The group is chaired by Simon Greenberg. The Mayor of London is represented by David Ross.
Visit London
Visit London is the official visitor organisation for London. Our role is to promote London as the most exciting city on the planet, targeting domestic and overseas leisure and business visitors as well as Londoners. Visit London works in partnership with the Mayor, the London Development Agency and the tourism industry in London.
Contact
For further information please contact
Chloe Couchman- Business & Major Events PR Manager
Visit London
6th Floor,
2 More London Riverside, London SE1 2RR, UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7234 5727
Fax: +44 (0)20 7234 5751
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