High-profile bid ambassadors including Alan Shearer, David Ginola, Peter Beardsley, Paul Gascoigne, Jack Charlton, Rob Lee and John Beresford joined NewcastleGateshead's World Cup bid team, which included representatives from Newcastle City Council, Gateshead Council and NewcastleGateshead Initiative to lend their support for the region.

Andrew Dixon, Chief Executive of NewcastleGateshead Initiative, said: "NewcastleGateshead Initiative is extremely proud to be a part of this potentially historic event that could put the North East on the world stage. NewcastleGateshead is ready to host World Cup football and so are the people of the North East who have shown their passion and support throughout the campaign.

"We would just like to thank everyone who has backed the NewcastleGateshead bid and the bid ambassadors who have taken time out of their busy schedules to show their support."

The final bid proposal outlines the case for NewcastleGateshead to be a host city in England's 2018 World Cup bid to the FA and includes details of the key facilities and necessary infrastructure for staging world cup football.

The theme for NewcastleGateshead's bid is Football at the Heart of the City - both geographically with its city centre stadium, but also demonstrating the passion for the game on Tyneside. It is this passion that will benefit from the World Cup coming to Tyneside with a lasting legacy of football and community sports.

Alan Shearer, former Newcastle United and England captain said: "Leading out England during the 1998 World Cup Finals in France was a great honour for me. To play in the biggest tournament of all is a dream for every footballer.

"To see St. James' Park named as a World Cup venue for 2018 would be fantastic and fitting for such a great stadium. Fans coming to Newcastle for World Cup matches would be guaranteed the warmest of welcomes and be able to experience the passion we have for football here in the North East."

If successful in the host city bid, NewcastleGateshead will see an estimated injection of more than £58m into the local economy.

Speaking from Wembley, Stephen Savage, Newcastle City Council's Director of Regulatory Services and Public Protection, said: "What an excellent opportunity for the North East to potentially host World Cup football. It is exciting to think that an event, like the official handover ceremony today at Wembley, could take place at St James Park in the near future."

Councillor Linda Green Portfolio Holder for Cultureof Gateshead Council commented: "This could be a special day in history where passionate football fans in the North East could one day see World Cup football played in the heart of our cities."

The 8 - 12 cities selected to have host city status in the overall England 2018 bid will be announced on 16^th December 2009. England's bid to host the World Cup in 2018 will be submitted to FIFA in May 2010, with the announcement of who will host the games announced in December 2010.

Public opportunities to back the bid for England 2018 and NewcastleGateshead can be made at www.england2018bid.com and www.NewcastleGateshead.com/2018