Shearer backs Newcastle Gateshead as city brand is launched
Angel of the North kicks off identity for Applicant Host City.
Former Newcastle United and England captain Alan Shearer has backed NewcastleGateshead’s application to become a Host City if England’s bid for the 2018 FIFA World Cup TM tournament is successful.
Shearer, who played 63 times for England, scoring 30 goals said: “Leading out England during the 1998 World Cup Finals in France was a great honour for me. To play in the biggest tournament of all is a dream for every footballer and to see St. James' Park named as a World Cup venue for 2018 would be fantastic and fitting for such a great stadium. Fans coming to Newcastle for World Cup matches would be guaranteed the warmest of welcomes and be able to experience the passion we have for football here in the North East.”
Shearer’s support came on the day NewcastleGateshead unveiled it brand identity as an Applicant Host City. The image shows an illustration of the Angel of the North kicking a football over the River Tyne. The image will be visible throughout NewcastleGateshead’s campaign until December. That is when England 2018 ltd announces the final list of Candidate Host Cities to be presented to FIFA in the Bid presentation.
Developed in partnership, the NewcastleGateshead Candidate Host City bid is a collaboration between Newcastle City Council, Gateshead Council, NewcastleGateshead Initiative, Newcastle United Football Club and other partners.
The move is supported with a track record of large-scale events such as the Great North Run; the world’s biggest half marathon with 54,000 runners; Euro 96; the Tall Ships Race, which saw over 1.5 million visitors in three days, along with stadium concerts.
NewcastleGateshead’s team is drawn from across the ‘twin cities’ which will look at all aspects of the criteria for hosting the FIFA World Cup in Newcastle and Gateshead.
John Shipley, Leader of Newcastle City Council said: “Bidding for the World Cup is an opportunity to put the iconic cityscape of NewcastleGateshead on a world stage. It’s a real chance to showcase our offering of sports stadia, training camps, conference and hotel facilities, and our road, rail, air and sea travel links to a global audience.
Leader of Gateshead Council Mick Henry said: “Gateshead and Newcastle have a proud record of hosting world-class events, which we’re always keen to build upon and they don’t come much bigger than World Cup football. "I firmly believe that our combination of superb facilities and huge passion is an unbeatable offer. The benefits to NewcastleGateshead will be enormous. "