City News

Birmingham’s bid to be a host city for the World Cup 2018 has been given a multi-team, star-studded kick- off when a host of football players and fans from Birmingham –from ballet dancers and musicians to comedians and chefs - joined the Leader of Birmingham City Council Mike Whitby, Deputy Leader Paul Tilsley and Cabinet Member for Sport, Leisure and Culture, Martin Mullaney in front of the Council House.  

Putting friendly football rivalry aside, all were there to pledge their backing of Birmingham’s bid and to drum up support for the campaign from the public by encouraging everyone to vote for Birmingham at a new website www.backthebirminghambid.com

Attendees at the launch included Birmingham City players Cameron Jerome and Martin Taylor and avid Blues fan comedian Jasper Carrott. Former Villa player, Ian Taylor was also there to show support alongside current Villa defender Carlos Cuellar, Phil Etheridge lead singer of Birmingham indie band The Twang, and Birmingham Royal Ballet dancer, Kit Holder.

They were joined by Birmingham City Ladies Team centre forward Cristina Torkilsden as well as Jabbar Khan, manager of Lasan Indian restaurant.

As one of 16 cities vying to be selected as a host city for the official England World Cup 2018 Bid  (www.england2018bid.com) Birmingham has until 6  November to submit an official bid to the FA outlining its facilities and plans for the World Cup.

Votes from members of the public will count towards the city’s chances of being selected.

Birmingham's bid is built on a strong partnership with Aston Villa FC, using Villa Park as the stadium venue and the city's other football clubs - Blues and West Bromwich Albion - providing training grounds and camps.

There would also be four team base camps in the region where National teams would stay for the duration of the tournament.

The NEC would become the site of a National Fan Park and there would be another Local Fan Park at Cannon Hill Park.  

The city’s iconic buildings and venues would also be used for other major elements of the competition such as the official Tournament Draw and there would be a host of ‘live’ sites from to watch matches, whilst the city would be festooned with banners, flags and posters to welcome the national teams and visitors.

Cllr Mike Whitby said: “Birmingham is an ideal host city. We’ve got everything, the transport infrastructure, the facilities, the expertise and of course a huge passion for sport.

“Such is our cultural diversity that we can guarantee a warm welcome for any teams based in Birmingham and, very likely, a home crowd for every game.
“Hosting the World Cup would be a tremendous achievement for the city, enabling us to showcase our ability to stage international sporting events on a grand scale and involving everyone in the community in some way.

“We hope that the public will pledge their support by voting for Birmingham as a host city.”

Cllr Tilsley said: "Birmingham is an ideal city for World Cup matches to be staged in 2018. We have a real passion for football and the facilities on offer would undoubtedly be loved by players, coaching staff and fans alike. Big matches have been staged here in the past and I hope they will again in the future."

The official FA England Bid team will be in the city this Wednesday 9 September to carry out site inspections and assess key elements of the bid like transport, security, medical facilities as well as Villa Park, the NEC and key hotels.  

The FA will announce which 11 English cities will go forward as part of the official England 2018 bid by December 2009.  

England’s Bid to FIFA will then be submitted by May 2010 and after the World Cup in South Africa, FIFA will announce the 2018 Host Nation by December 2010.