Englands 2018 World Cup bid London needs your help

England is bidding to host the World Cup in 2018. If we are privileged enough to win, our aim is for London to be one of the major host cities. But to achieve this we need to ask for your help and influence over the next two months.

In December, England 2018 will choose which cities will stage the matches if the tournament is awarded to England for the first time in over 50 years. The competition is set to be fierce, with London going head-to-head with 14 other locations around the nation.

If our city can show that its fans are the most passionate in the country, London could win the right to host games at up to four of its stadiums, including Wembley. And you hold the key to making this happen.

Whatever your role from grassroots football to the Premier League, from a local authority to Transport for London you are the people with the closest links to Londons football-mad population.

All of us remember how Euro 96 electrified the nation, and the buzz around the 2012 Olympics is already reaching fever pitch. But for football fans, the World Cup is on another level. Thats why, if were fortunate enough to be given the honour of hosting the competition in 2018, we want to give Londoners the maximum possible amount of World Cup football.

With 13 professional clubs (more than any other city in the world), over 80 amateur leagues, we believe London has a strong case to make. However, your help is vital to our chances of success.

Many of Londons leading stakeholders from politics, football, transport and many other industries and groups have already come together under the banner London London United United to develop and co-ordinate the citys proposal as a Host City for 2018.

So please take a look below at the ways you can encourage everyone involved in your team or organisation to back the bid and support London as a Host City.

How you can back the bid

With England 2018 making its decision on December 14th 2009, the clock is ticking. The simplest and most important way for fans to back the bid is by visiting www.england2018bid.com and registering their support for London.

Step one: Go to www.england2018bid.com. Step two: Click Support (youll find this tab at the top of the page). Step three: Click Show your support. Step four: Fill out your details. In the Choose your host city section remember to select London.

Were up against cities from all over the country, including hotbeds of football support like Liverpool and Newcastle. Our aim is to exceed the enthusiasm and commitment shown towards the beautiful game elsewhere by getting one million people to register their support for London.

Getting the message out there

There are many other quick and easy ways that you can spread the word and encourage people to visit www.england2018bid.com.

or Some ideas for professional clubs, local authorities, and other organisations with Comms teams
Carry a prominent link to www.england2018bid.com on your website and encourage fans via your various media and marketing channels to pledge their support for London Supply bid-related content to broadcasters to show in advance of matches Ensure key players are briefed to drop comments into press conferences, and ask them to support the bid on their websites and Twitter pages

Promote the bid on match days via giant screens, perimeter boards, editorial in programmes, stunts on the pitch at half time, and through the sale of merchandise related to the England 2018 bid Provide bid collateral and key messages to people involved with your clubs youth, womens and community activity, as well as to fanzines We hope to have a short film completed by the start of September which will encapsulate London Uniteds hosting concept for London and this should be freely available for you to use and circulate

schools, Some ideas for Sunday league teams, schools, youth groups, other amateur organisations
Put the bid logo and web address - www.england2018bid.com - on all letters, emails, newsletters or other correspondence. (See the Logo section below for details of how to download the bid logo) Use a training session to explain to your players how to back the bid and support London as a host city If your team has a mascot, ask him or her to wear an England 2018 scarf at your matches Pin a reminder about backing the England 2018 bid and supporting London as a host city on your team notice board

Timeline
6th November: Deadline for registering support for London 14th December: Announcement of cities to be included in Englands final bid 14th May 2010: England submits bid to FIFA December 2010: FIFA announces host country of 2018/2022 World Cups

Fast facts
Up to 18 stadiums could in theory be selected for inclusion in Englands final bid for the 2018 tournament, but 15 cities are bidding to be involved

London is putting forward Arsenals Emirates stadium, Tottenhams planned new stadium, the 2012 Olympic Stadium, while Wembley will host the opening match and final and possibly other matches London could secure games for a maximum of four stadiums The other cities competing for inclusion in the final bid are: Birmingham, Bristol, Derby, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Newcastle & Gateshead, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Sunderland 284,000 adults play football regularly in London every week London welcomes 400,000 football fans in its stadiums every week Last year the total attendance at Premiership and Football League games in the capital exceeded 30 million. London has 13 professional football clubs, more than any other city in the world The capital also has over 80 semi-professional and amateur leagues They are Arsenal, Barnet, Brentford, Charlton, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Leyton Orient, Millwall, Queens Park Rangers, Tottenham Hotspur, Watford, West Ham Londons professional teams provide opportunities for two million children and young people to get involved in football

Press releases
If your club has a press office/media relations team that would like to issue a news release for local media there are a few pieces of information and content that might be useful.

1. When promoting the London host city bid, you should use the bid logo. This can be obtained via a request to ccouchman@visitlondon.com

2. If you would like a supporting quote from one of the high-profile figures associated with the England team and the England bid, please feel free to use the following, which have all been approved for use in the media:

Major of London, Boris Johnson: Come on Londoners join me in supporting the bid to host one of the greatest sporting tournaments in the world. London is a football-mad city, from the top-flight professional club and

international matches attracting fans in their tens of thousands each week to the friendly kick about in local parks and open spaces like Hackney Marshes, Europe's largest expanse of playing fields.

3. We have developed a short set of key messages that we hope you will find useful
when encouraging people to back the bid and register their support for London. The reason for these messages is to ensure that everyone involved in the efforts to secure London as a host city talks about the bid in a clear and consistent way.

London is focused on putting together the strongest bid possible to stage matches if England wins the privilege of hosting the 2018 FIFA World Cup. We are positive London can play a central role in England hosting a fantastic festival of football which will engage the whole country and deliver positive change for the game in England and across the world. Football is Londons passion. Seven million people play football in the capital every week, while we have 13 professional teams, more than any other city in the world. A warm welcome is guaranteed to players and spectators alike, with Londons many diverse communities providing a home-from-home welcome for every guest. London playing a central role in an England 2018 World Cup guarantees a spectacular experience for FIFA, fans, sponsors and broadcasters. London cares profoundly about football and has the stadiums and infrastructure to match. Were committed to developing a legacy of economic and social benefits beyond football.

FAQ
Q. Why do Londoners need to back the bid? The FA and the team selecting the candidate host cities will be looking for many attributes. The quality of the stadiums, accommodation and transport infrastructure, as well as the security arrangements to be put in place, will obviously be important considerations. Just as crucial however will be evidence of the passion

of the diverse communities in London towards football. We need Londoners to register their support for the capital at www.england2018bid.com to help us show the organising team just how deeply Londoners love the game.

Q. How can Londoners back the bid? Backing the bid and showing your support for London as a host city is easy. Just go to www.england2018bid.com, click on Support, then on Show your support. Fill out your details, remembering to select London in the Choose your host city section.

Q. How soon do Londoners need to register their support? As soon as possible. The final day when support can be registered is November 6th.

need Q. How many people need to register their support for Londons bid? We are aiming for one million people. We are competing against a long list of famously passionate football cities, including Newcastle and Liverpool, so its important that we show that the capital can match and exceed the enthusiasm and commitment found elsewhere in the country.

Q. Which of Londons stadiums are being put forward? As well as Wembley (which will host the final), the stadiums being put forward are Arsenals Emirates stadium, the 2012 Olympic stadium and Tottenhams planned new stadium.

Q. How many London stadiums could win the right to host matches? It is possible for London to secure a maximum of four stadiums, including Wembley.

Contacts

If you would like to know more, are keen to discuss any promotional ideas with us, or in the event of a crisis, please contact:

Chloe Couchman Visit London Business and Major Events Communications Manager Tel: 0207 234 5727 M: 07764 633 071 ccouchman@visitlondon.com

Regarding the overall England bid, your other point of contact is:

Phil Mepham Head of Media England 2018 Wembley Stadium | Wembley | Middlesex HA9 0WS T +44 (0)207 7454890 M +44 (0)7765 237236 F +44 (0)207 7455890 phil.mepham@thefa.com Thank you and good luck!