Clegg welcomes the Fifa inspectors
By politics.co.uk staff
The Fifa inspection team assessing the strength of England’s 2018 World Cup bid have met Nick Clegg in Downing Street.
The deputy prime minister took on the appointment while David Cameron holidays in Cornwall with his wife, Samantha.
The six-man Fifa team also met Jeremy Hunt, the Culture, Media and Sports secretary, and Hugh Robertson, sports minister, at Downing Street.
Mr Clegg was at pains to prove the government’s commitment to the bid, telling Fifa officials: “We in this government believe in it, we hope that you believe in it.
“The commitment, the declarations, the guarantees provided by the previous government are ones we back 100%.”
Chile Football Federation president Harold Mayne-Nicholls is leading the Fifa delegation, which starts its four-day tour with the Downing Street meeting before proceeding to Wembley, where Fabio Capello will offer them a tour of the stadium and the chance to watch a community coaching session.
“We are looking forward to bringing our proposals to life by providing the inspectors with opportunities to experience some of our facilities first-hand and to take part in a range of presentations involving football people, from greats of the game through to community coaches and volunteers,” said England 2018 chief executive Andy Anson.
There has been some criticism of Mr Cameron’s absence during the team’s visit. Last week, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin personally greeted the inspectors, while Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodgriguez Zapatero is expected to meet them during the Spanish leg of the trip.
But the make up for it, the inspectors will get the chance to talk with Sir Alex Ferguson when they arrive at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
The England bid’s concentration on facilities means the visit, which will inspect stadiums in Manchester, London, Sunderland and Newcastle, is particularly important.
