2018 bid gets thumbs up from Robbo
Dons boss backs the bid
Securing World Cup city status would be another chapter in the 'Walt Disney story' of Milton Keynes, according to Karl Robinson.
Following the FIFA delegates' visit to the country last week as part of England's 2018 bid, the Dons boss has given his support to MK's push to be a part of the action.
He admitted his own opinions of the new city have changed since he moved here.
"I hope people get the opportunity to see what Milton Keynes is all about," he said. "The place has really grown on me since I moved here. It's a special place, with everything you need to live a happy life.
"We're a lot luckier than Manchester or Liverpool because we now have the chance to transform this growing city."
With stadium:mk one of the few UEFA Elite Stadiums in the country, MK always stood a good chance of bringing the show to town. And Robinson hopes a successful bid will start to dispel the myths that tarnish the reputation of the area.
He said: "The stadium is equipped more than any other in the country. I think we will bring so much excitement to the World Cup. We might not have history, but we are making it now.
"It would mean an awful lot to the club and the chairman – he deserves it – and the city does too."
The stadium played host to two international friendlies in the build up to the World Cup in South Africa - a feat no other candidate city can lay claim to.
And Robinson believes that by hosting such games, young fans will get to see top class football and improve their own game, which could one day even benefit Dons.
"It's another opportunity to see world class players on a regular basis," he said. "It can educate the younger fans, who can't see Premier League football regularly. They can see how to play the game at the top level and see what we're trying to achieve here. It all bodes well for the future of the club."
MK's bid was originally considered to have had an outside chance of making it through to the final 17 proposed venues when they were announced by the English FA earlier this year, with Hull, Leicester and Derby the three to miss the cut.
Thanks to the efforts of bid chairman Dr Ann Limb and MK Dons chairman Pete Winkelman, the city has been improving its reputation, even earning praise from other candidate teams, which could go a long way towards convincing FIFA's delegates that England would be the best location for the tournament in eight years time.
Winkelman's vision of putting MK on the map is one that has won over Robinson, who has likened the story to that of a fairytale - which always ends on a happy note. But he knows what he has to do in the meantime.
"It's another chapter for this Walt Disney story that the chairman created seven years ago," said the Dons boss. "It was only a dream and it has turned into a remarkable story.
"The World Cup will be another tick in a box of many. My job is to get the club into the Premier League in time for the World Cup. It would mean an awful lot to the club and the city, and that's what we are pushing for."
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Weather for Milton Keynes
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North east
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