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If Labour Get Their Way, Football May Actually Come Home In 2030

If Labour Get Their Way, Football May Actually Come Home In 2030

Labour Party deputy leader Tom Watson has floated the idea of England hosting the 2030 World Cup - so football might actually come home

Mike Wood

Mike Wood

So it didn't come home after all, then.

Not only that, but the Three Lions bowed out of the World Cup on something of a damp squib, losing 2-0 to Belgium in the third place play-off - however, it'll take more than that to fully extinguish the optimism that Gareth Southgate's men have inspired over the past month.

Well, here's some good news - maybe it will be coming home after all. At least, if Labour has its way - the party has publically floated the idea of England hosting the 2030 World Cup, the centenary edition of the tournament.

Speaking on Sky News this morning, deputy leader Tom Watson spoke of his passion for football and how that might transfer into a bid to host the tournament.

"I've been driving my kids crazy because I am old enough to remember Italia 90 when we got through to the semi-finals and the country was alive," explained the MP for West Bromwich East.

"After a very difficult year, seeing the country united these last few weeks has been fantastic - and it seems to me you look at Premier League football, which is the best in the world, you look at our lower league football - which is really well run, the Football Foundation has made investments in grassroots football.

"It's the national game, it can bring the country together, it can give us hope.

"We were disappointed in 2018 when we did the World Cup bid, it seems to me that we should be bidding for the World Cup 2030."

England bid for the 2006 and 2018 World Cups without success, losing out to Germany, Russia and Qatar. They only managed to garner two of 22 votes for their proposal, leading to widespread criticism of the bidding team.

PA

Watson said that a bid was not nailed on, as his party were still in opposition, but would be high on the priority list if they were returned to power.

"That's a few years off and we don't know who's going to be in government in a few years' time," said the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.

"If we're in government, I hope it's one of the first things a Labour government does, which is work with our FA to try and put a World Cup bid together.

"If the Conservatives are still in government, then we'd like to work with them to make sure that a bid is successful."

IT'S COMING HOME!

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: UK News, World Cup, Politics

Mike Meehall Wood is a freelance journalist and translator. He writes for LADbible, VICE and countless sports publications, focusing on rugby league, football and boxing. He is a graduate of Leeds University and maintains a fizzy pop obsession. Contact Mike at [email protected]