Regional development agency One North East has given its backing to Sunderland’s bid for host city status as part of the FA’s campaign to bring the World Cup to England in 2018. One North East is the organisation that is responsible for transforming North East England through sustainable economic development and one of the agency’s key roles involves promoting the region as a great place to live, work, study and visit. Tourism now contributes around £4bn to the …

Sunderland Football Club chairman Niall Quinn and Sunderland City Council leader Councillor Paul Watson today urged the North East to get behind Sunderland’s bid to become a host city for the 2018 World Cup. The pair were speaking at the Stadium of Light, at the public launch of Sunderland’s bid to be a candidate host city as part of England’s 2018 World Cup bid.

A successful bid would mean qualifying matches during the World Cup finals would be played at the …