Football World Cup

Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport – in the House of Commons am 2:30 pm ar 2 Mawrth 2009.

Danfonwch hysbysiad imi am ddadleuon fel hyn

Photo of Andy Burnham Andy Burnham The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 2:30, 2 Mawrth 2009

What provocation! I am barely out of the traps at DCMS questions and my hon. Friend goads me in that way. I hope that we will both see the 2018 World cup in England. I very much agree with him that we should learn from the failed bid of 2006 about how to go about bidding. At that time there was a sense of "Football's coming home. It is our turn; give it to us", but this time we must bid differently and more cleverly and recognise that English football has a reach in Africa and Asia that other national leagues do not. Because of that, there is so much that English football can take to the world to the benefit of football. That should be the spirit of the bid; I am grateful for my hon. Friend's support in that endeavour.