Delighted That Our Region's Grounds Have Been Included In The 2018 World Cup Bid

There was a great result for the North East today as both the Stadium of Light and St James' Park were named among the FA's proposed grounds for the 2018 WOrld Cup - if it is held in England.

Any other result would, of course, have been ridiculous. It's all well and good trying to choose a good "geographical spread" of grounds, but you cannot ignore the fact that the North East is the footballing heartland of the country. It is right that this has been recognised in the allocation of the grounds for 2018.

We have football under the skin in the North East. I'm a passionate Sunderland fan but I think it is quite right that both of our area's big teams have been recognised by the FA. Now let's hope that the bid team can push things forward so the North East can welcome the World Cup in 2018.