Regenerating Leicester

Steve Walsh - Leicester City Legend. "It would be massive. Leicester is in the centre of the country, and you only have to look at the passion for sport in the city, with the football, rugby and cricket, to know how much it would make sense to have a World Cup game here."

Willie Thorne - Former Professional Snooker Player

Willie Thorne - "The people within the city love their sport and would really welcome the World Cup coming here. I would absolutely encourage everyone to do what they can to make this happen and to vote to choose Leicester to be a host city."

Sir Steve Redgrave CBE. "Leicester's a city with a proud sporting history and a record of putting on great sporting events. With the Special Olympics
in Leicester this year, and the London Olympics in 2012, winning the rights to stage the 2018 World Cup would be the icing on the cake."

Jordan Crane - Leicester Tigers number 8. "As someone who's played both football and rugby, I love both sports. It would be brilliant to bring the World Cup to Leicester. We¹ve got the facilities and we¹ve got the fans, which is why I think Leicester would make a great World Cup city."

A WORLD-CLASS cricketer has given his backing to Leicester’s bid to be a host city

World-class cricketer, Munaf Patel - "I've got friends and family in Leicester, it's like a second home to me, so I try to visit when I can – and that’s why I would love to see the World Cup here. It would be great for the city – and for the people who come here to watch the games."

Bollywood and EastEnders actor Dalip Tahil - "I have the highest regard for Leicester as a sporting city. It's a fabulous place for all sports, but particularly for cricket, rugby and football. The
city has proved that it can host major events, like the Special Olympics, so it seems only right that Leicester should be the natural choice for World
Cup matches in 2018."

Muzzy Izzet, eight international caps with Turkey and Leicester City legend -"When I was at the World Cup in Japan and South Korea, it was like a carnival. Everywhere you went, it was there - the atmosphere was incredible. It would definitely be a great thing for Leicester. The Walkers Stadium is a great ground and would definitely be up for it. It's a fantastic stadium and there's a real football community here. People really like their football and they would love this."

Local legend Gary Lineker. “As someone who was lucky enough to have played in two World Cups, I know that it’s no exaggeration to call the tournament the biggest event in the world. Millions of people around the world will be watching and it would be absolutely brilliant if all those eyes could be on Leicester. My home town has proved that it can rise to the big occasion."

Sadie Pickering - Flick Mellor in the hit BBC series, Waterloo Road pictured with young people from Soar Valley College. "This is my first visit to Leicester and I have to say that the people have been amazing. The warm welcome I received today,
and the obvious enthusiasm that the people here have for sport, would make Leicester the perfect host city."

Philip Olivier - Actor. "If the football fans in Leicester are anything like the audience at De Montfort Hall, then Leicester would be a brilliant place for World Cup football!"

Basketball star LaTaryl Williams - Leicester Riders. "Leicester really is a city of sports - and a fantastic place for a World Cup. If England wins the right to host the 2018 World Cup, it would be great if Leicester was part of it."

Leicester City legend, Alan Birchenall -"It is probably the world¹s greatest sporting event. If this city can be part of that, what a great thing it would be for Leicester City Football Club, the city and the county. This city is ready to host something of the magnitude of a World Cup."

Manjit Singh, the Ironman of Leicester who holds 36 world records - "There are so many different communities in Leicester that it's the perfect place for the World Cup. The Special Olympics has already put Leicester on the map, but the World Cup would be the icing on the cake."

England team manager and Leicester Tigers' legend, Martin Johnson - "| think it would be fantastic, brilliant if we could host the FIFA World Cup in Leicester."

Former England and Leicester Tigers Rugby player, Austin Healey - "Living in Leicestershire, I would love to see as many sporting events as possible here. Leicester would be a great place to have a World Cup match and it would mean football fans of all different nationalities would come to the city and see all the benefits it has to give them."