FA boss Clarke lays ground for 2030 bid

FA Chairman Greg clarke is planning a global charm offensive ahead of a potential bid to host the 2030 World cup.

clarke, who has already met fellow football chiefs in two-thirds of the European countries, intends widening his travels to take in Africa and Asia. he adopted this tactic at home to push through governance reforms, doing a tour of county associations, many of whom had never had a visit from an FA chairman.

Going abroad to win friends will allow clarke to prepare the ground should England seek to stage the 2030 World cup. That will depend on Europe being the host confederation and UEFA putting all their efforts behind one candidate.

But before that plays out, clarke knows the FA need to quickly improve their relationships around world football — the lack of which led to doomed bids for the 2006 and 2018 World cups.

clarke said earlier this year: ‘We are building bridges to show we are not stand-offish, noses in the air, we invented football — that sort of stuff we have a reputation for.

‘i am trying to create room at the table for England to be listened to. it’s my job to get to know enough people in UEFA and FIFA so that if we get a run at a tournament we won’t waste £20million bidding when we can’t win.’ meanwhile, Stockholm is expected to be chosen today as a host city for Euro 2020, replacing Brussels, whose new stadium project never got off the ground. cardiff’s challenge is understood to have faltered because of the lack of hotel rooms in the Welsh capital.