England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup Finals has received yet another boost. Lord Sebastian Coe, the former Olympic gold medal winning runner, and the man who helped defy the odds to win the bid for the 2012 Olympics to be hosted in London, says he would like to assist any England bid for the hosting of the 2018 World Cup.

Coe led the London Olympic bid team that beat the favourites Paris for the right to host the Games in the IOC vote in July, and says he would be available to assist, should the English Football Association make a bid to host the showpiece event.

He told the British paper the Sunday People: "Of course I'd help. From the experience of the last two years I know I can be of use… I can't think of anything better than my children watching a World Cup here."

"By 2018 we wouldn't have had the World Cup for 52 years, It is a great opportunity to showcase the game in this country." added Coe.

"I am not completely alien to football. I helped with the FA's review on drugs, plus I have been a Chelsea season ticket holder for 38 years.”

"I won't lay down a blueprint for the FA because they have to decide what they want, but they have to be bold about the vision. They have to go out and sell it.”

"We will work together with the FA on a feasibility study.” Lord Coe continued, "I'd like to think the successful Olympic bid has given a boost to UK confidence, and that it has shown that we don't have to lose these things."

The British Government has launched a study to test whether England would be capable of hosting the Cup, after it was announced earlier this month that it had held preliminary talks with the English Football Association (FA).

When giving details of the feasibility study, Gordon Brown, the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, said: “We’ll support the Football Association when it makes its application, and if it makes the application.”
England last staged a major tournament, the European Championships, in 1996, and last hosted the World Cup in 1966. The FA will not make any firm decision on a World Cup 2018 bid until Autumn 2006 at the earliest.

Since England staged the World Cup in 1966, Europe’s other potential hosts — Germany (twice), Italy, France and Spain — have all hosted the event. England has more than enough top-class stadiums to stage the tournament, including the new Wembley Stadium, which will be completed next year.

The FA has already said that a decision on whether to make a bid will not be made until autumn 2006.

England had initially put a bid together for the 2006 World Cup but its chances of success were hurt by political infighting with the European football governing body UEFA, who gave their backing to Germany.

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