By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
March 26 – A presentation to the leaders of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in Kuala Lumpur by England’s World Cup bid, led by chief executive Andy Anson and International President David Dein and also including former Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United winger David Ginola, has won high praise.
England’s 30 minute presentation “wowed” the continent’s Executive Committee - who included three members of the ruling FIFA Executive Committee – and was “purposeful”, according to the AFC official website.
Among those present to hear details of England’s plans for 2018 were Mohamed Bin Hammam, the President of the AFC, and his fellow FIFA Executive Committee members from Asia – Japan’s Junji Ogura and Thailand’s Worawi Makudi.
Bin Hammam welcomed the bid team, which also included the campaign’s director Jane Bateman, to AFC House and praised the Football Association’s development to the sport in the region.
He said: ”It is a great honour and pleasure to receive the England bid team to AFC House.
“We at AFC have a very good relationship with the England FA and I have to give credit to the FA for undertaking several development initiatives for Asia.
“I am obliged for the support of the FA for Asian football.”
Dein said: “It is a privilege to speak to you about England’s bid.
“England last hosted the World Cup in 1966 and it is about time this festival of football returned to England.”
Anson listed in detail England’s strengths and how the staging of the World Cup would benefit the whole sport, particularly financially.
He said: ”A World Cup in England will leave an extensive global legacy and the commercial benefits would be unsurpassed.
“We have excellent technical facilities and England, with its diverse population, will be a home away from home for the teams and fans.”
A video featuring Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and England coach Fabio Capello was also shown in which they presented their compliments to Bin Hammam and asked for his support to win the 2018 World Cup.
Anson said the FA was ready to entertain a formal proposal from AFC about how it could help the professionalisation of club football in Asia.
Ginola, a former French international, stressed that the atmosphere in England would be wonderful.
He said: ”As a player, it was a privilege to play in England.
“A World Cup in England will be remembered for generations to come.”
Bin Hammam was later presented signed shirts of Manchester United and England signed by Wayne Rooney and Capello respectively.
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