Council leader Sam Crooks has insisted cash used to extend stadium:mk should the city become a host city for the World Cup will come from the MK Dons.

Councillor Crooks, who is part of the MK 2018 World Cup bid consortium, said taxpayers will not pick up the bill and has backed Dons chairman Pete Winkelman's plans to raise the funds.

At present detailed proposals for the financing of the extension at the stadium will not be made until Milton Keynes knows its fate.

Councillor Crooks said: "Pete and the MK Dons are putting together the funding package for the stadium.

"Pete has already delivered in terms of the stadium he has already built.

"I remember when he was talking about it as a glint in his eye all those years ago and people were saying it would never happen.

"But he did, as Pete has that 'can do' attitude."

Further details of how the estimated £15m needed to host World Cup games will be spent have been revealed.

Around £1.5m each would be spent on transforming Campbell Park and the National Bowl into FIFA Fan Fests where daily matches would be screened live.

It is thought £1.5m would be spent on transport, £2m on marketing, £2m on decorating the city for the event and £6m on stadium related costs such as temporary upgrades and a media centre.

The MK 2018 World Cup bid consortium will submit its final bid document to the FA on November 26 and will then give a final presentation in front of the Technical Selection Committee in London on either December 14, 15 or 16, the date when the successful bids are announced.

And Councillor Crooks says the consortium is confident ahead of decision day.

He said: "I am not complacent but I think we have a lot that is right and the selection committee have got the message that everyone in the city is really behind the bid."

That was evident last Saturday when more than 450 people, including Pete Winkelman, Councillor Crooks and Mayor Euan Henderson took part in the Open for the World run.

The 5k race was promoting the bid to become a host city and saw contestants, including our very own team from the Citizen, run from
the National Bowl to stadium:mk.

John Cove of MK Dons and a member of the MK 2018 World Cup bid consortium said: "The event was a real demonstration of Milton Keynes' support for our bid to be a host city in the 2018 World Cup."