Stadium of Light Event Shines Light on FIFA World Cup 2018 Opportunities for the Region
Over 100 key players from the North East’s leading businesses and sporting institutions attended the first Lighting up Lives breakfast event at the Stadium of Light yesterday.
The session provided an insight into the opportunities that England’s bid to host either the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup could bring to the region if successful.
The speakers included Sunderland AFC chairman Niall Quinn, Sunderland City Council Leader, Cllr Paul Watson, England 2018/2022 technical director Ian Riley, England 2018/2022 sponsorship manager Luke Peacock, and Paul Taylor of Business Link procurement service Compete North East.
Niall Quinn, chairman of Sunderland AFC said:
“This event was a great success and illustrated the fantastic support there is in the North East for England’s 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup bid. There is a clear commitment on the part of the region’s businesses to do what it takes to ensure England is successful and to make the most of the potential opportunities World Cup football would offer.
“Everyone needs to stay involved and continue to find ways to back the bid. At Sunderland, we know that being named as a Candidate Host City is just one important step toward bringing the World Cup to these shores. Our priority, along with partners across the North East, is to do all that we can to support the England 2018 bid team as they work to secure the honour of hosting the tournament.
“However, looking further into the future, we already have a clear ambition for Sunderland and North East England. Should England be successful, our vision is for international fans to go back to their countries after the World Cup saying that their best experiences of the tournament were here in our region. That, I believe, is a realistic long term goal, but first we need to focus all of our efforts on backing the England 2018 campaign. This event is just one example of how we are doing that.”
Cllr Paul Watson, Leader of Sunderland City Council, said:
“I was delighted to see so many people from around the region at our Lighting up Lives event. The occasion clearly demonstrated how much support the bid has from within the business community and how much appetite there is to get involved in the ongoing campaign to bring the FIFA World Cup to England.
“We were grateful for the contributions of all of the speakers, providing both regional and national perspectives. It was fantastic to have the support of One North East, Compete North East and in particular the England 2018/2022 bid team, and we look forward to working closely with all of these organisations throughout 2010, and if all goes well, right up until 2018 and beyond.”
People can show their support for the England 2018/2022 by texting “England” to 62018 or by visiting www.england2018bid.com.