West Ham United will once again be giving their support to the England 2018 campaign by endorsing 'Back the Bid' week ahead of the FIFA Inspection Team's arrival in England next week.
The club will help raise the Bid profile before Saturday's match against Bolton Wanderers as the England 2018 team step up their campaign with a series of events and campaigns before and during the Inspection Team's technical evaluation of the Bid.
The England 2018 proposal for the FIFA World Cup could include the Olympic Stadium, being built for the 2012 Games just a stone's throw from the Boleyn Ground. Leytonstone-born David Beckham, an England 2018 vice-president, is in no doubt about what it would mean to get the whole country behind the 2018 campaign.
"The support we have had for the bid from the public over the past year has been incredible. Back the Bid Week provides the opportunity for the nation to come together again as a team and try and win the World Cup together," Beckham said.
"I've no doubt that fans from all over the country will unite and show the FIFA Inspection Team the type of passion and festival of football we could create if we staged the world's greatest sporting event."
The FIFA Inspection Team are assessing the technical bids of the countries competing for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups™ and will be in England from Monday 23 until Thursday 26 August. The inspectors have a packed schedule of visiting stadiums, host cities and receiving presentations.
On Tuesday 24 August, a national 'Wear Your Shirt to Work Day' will be staged to mark 100 days to go until FIFA announces which countries will be awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Like supporters across the country, Hammers fans are encouraged to show their love of football by wearing their claret and blue shirts to work to demonstrate the commitment to the game that exists in this country.
So far, more than 1.5 million people from over 200 countries across the world have already officially shown their support for the bid including England captain, and Academy graduate, Rio Ferdinand.
The simplest thing for you to do is to sign up to the campaign by texting ENGLAND to 62018 (or +44786 000 5000 from abroad) or visiting www.england2018bid.com
England 2018 needs your support so please Back the Bid this week.