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Sheffield World Cup city bid success
SHEFFIELD is celebrating today after the city was chosen as a host city for England's 2018 or 2022 World Cup bid.
But the venue will be Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough - not Blades' ground Bramall Lane.
For full local reaction, comments and photos see The Star tomorrow, Thursday, December 17, 2009.
The other successful cities are London, Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham, Leeds, Sunderland, Newcastle-Gateshead, Bristol, Plymouth, Liverpool and Milton Keynes.
Derby, Leicester and Hull were not selected.
Now the successful venues will form a significant part of England's bid to stage the World Cup in 2018 or 2022.
Sheffield would gain social and economic benefits in the period leading up to and during the event, say city experts.
Thrilled Sheffield 2018 team members watched the London announcement live on Sky Sports.
They included Sheffield City Council leader Coun Paul Scriven, who said:"I'm delighted that Sheffield has been chosen as a candidate host city, but this is tinged with some sadness that only one of our grounds has been selected."
Also in attendance were Sheffield City Council's Chief Exec John Mothersole, Chair of the Sheffield 2018 Executive Team Paul Billington, Chairman of Sheffield 2018 Doug Liversidge and 2018 Bid Director Wayne Coyle.
Nick Parker, of SWFC, Trevor Birch, of SUFC, Holly Hodgkinson and Mohsin Hussain, of the Academy of Young Leaders, plus Elliot Ned and Dennis Liao from Lydgate School.
England 2018 deputy chairman Lord Mawhinney announced 16 successful venues across 12 different cities, with four in London.
However, FIFA regulations state only three stadia can be used in any one city, with a decision to be made between the new White Hart Lane or Olympic Stadium.
White Hart Lane is one of the stadia yet to be built or redeveloped, with the others being Ashton Vale stadium in Bristol and Nottingham's Forest's new ground.
Mawhinney also revealed that Anfield or "new Anfield" would be used.
Lord Mawhinney, the Football League chairman who headed the selection panel, told a news conference: "England's fortunate to have so many good stadia and I would like to congratulate all of the applicant host cities for the seven months of really hard work they have put in.
"We have chosen cities which present the lowest possible risk to FIFA and it's FIFA who will make the final decision.
"There will also be a lot of disappointed football fans around the country I understand that - and if I was a fan of theirs I would be just as disappointed."
The cities were assessed on a number of criteria including the facilities at the grounds, locations for FIFA Fan Fests, public viewing areas, training sites, accommodation and event infrastructure.
The full list of successful venues is:
Birmingham - Villa Park
Bristol - the new Ashton Vale stadium
Liverpool - Anfield or new Anfield
Leeds - Elland Road
London - Emirates Stadium
London - Wembley Stadium
London - the new White Hart Lane or Olympic Stadium
Manchester - City of Manchester Stadium
Manchester - Old Trafford
Milton Keynes - Stadium MK
Newcastle/Gateshead - St James' Park
Nottingham - the new Nottingham Forest stadium
Plymouth - Home Park
Sheffield - Hillsborough
Sunderland - Stadium of Light
Derby's Pride Park, Leicester ground the Walkers Stadium and Hull's KC Stadium will not host games if England's bid to stage the tournament is successful.
What do you think? Add your comments below.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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