Inside the World Cup

News Story

Boris urges Londoners to support World Cup bid

By Mike Rowbottom

June 30 - London’s Mayor, Boris Johnson, underlined his support for the possibility the idea of retaining the Olympic Stadium at an 80,000 capacity so it could become a venue if England secure the 2018 World Cup.

Johnson urged Londoners to register their support online for the capital playing a major part in the 2018 campaign, calling it a "football-mad city".

And when asked if that meant keeping the Olympic centrepiece at its full capacity to play a part in staging matches alongside Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium and Tottenham’s redeveloped White Hart Lane, he responded: "Everyone is talking about the Olympic Stadium as a football venue, and it is a logical for the idea to be thoroughly debated. It is right to look at the possibilities."

The Mayor was speaking after posing for pictures outside City Hall with a group of children from Arsenal and Tottenham’s community projects, all in team kit and bearing scarves with the logo: "Back the Bid".

Baroness Margaret Ford, Chair, Olympic Park Legacy Company, met Bid officials last week and said she wanted to avoid reducing the level of seating in the Olympic Stadium after the Games were over.

Should a decision be made to confirm the Olympic stadium’s part in the 2018 Bid, there will be additional costs involved to make it fit FIFA criteria. Johnson was neutral on the question of whether a new budget would be agreed.

"Clearly that is something we want to look at," he said.

London will face competition from cities, including Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Portsmouth, Newcastle/Gateshead and Nottingham - a total of 15 potential venues are vying for the 12 places available as part of the 2018 bid.

London’s formal application to become a host city for the World Cup in 2018 will be delivered by "London United", a group of leading executives from a number of major stakeholders within the capital, chaired by Chelsea FC Communications and Public Affairs Director Simon Greenberg.

Anyone wishing to show their support for the capital – or another city - can do so by logging on to www.England2018bid.com and clicking onto “Register Your Support”.