MK Stadium for World Cup 2018?
The MK Stadium is the stadium of Milton Keynes Dons FC. It is a very new stadium, having been opened on the 29<sup>th</sup> November 2007. Surprisingly, this stadium has been thrown in the hat to host some of the World Cup 2018 matches should England be successful in their hosting bid. Not only has the stadium name been mentioned, but also the MK Dons chairman believes that it stands a very good chance of being chosen. MK Dons are currently playing in League 2 but stand a good chance of being promoted.
The capacity of the stadium is currently 22000 but currently ongoing infrastructural work means that this will go up to 32000 in 18 months’ time, and who knows what may happen in 10 years’ time. The standard of the stadium is very high, being given a four-star rating by UEFA, meaning it can host a UEFA Cup final. The chairman believes that the MK Stadium stands a good chance because most other English stadium are all crowded into London, North East or North West. MK Stadium is situated in South East England, so this will come into consideration by the FA in order to try and spread the competition over the whole country.
Milton Keynes Stadium
Pete Winkelman (Dons chairman) also believes that the stadium can withstand heavy pressures and will be able to cope with World Cup attendances. The only factor that stands in Dons’ way is their lack of stadium use for bigger leagues like the Championship or Premier League, where they can prove to the FA that the stadium has all the security requirements and necessary facilities to accommodate the thousands of fans that travel for the World Cup.
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Southampton should be the south east venue
[...] MK Dons Stadium, Milton Keynes Capacity 30,000 Team: MK Dons [...]
Erm? No. Ipswich’s Portman Road for 2018. It already has a 32,000 capacity and, with statues of Alf Ramsey and Bobby Robson, is drenched in history.
Portman Road is the only stadium in East Anglia capable of hosting World Cup Games, it’s already held a full England international game as well as several under 21 games.
no way
just a plastic franchise club wanting to cash in on a possible extension to their stadium that represents all that is wrong with English football
nothing wrong with carrow road or portman road
I am a dons fan, and once seats are put on the top tier the capacity will go up to 32 000. After this a new tier can be built bringing the capacity to 45 000… MK south east venue!
I would back Stadium MK as a venue for world cup. Fantastic stadium, close to train links etc. Once it has been expanded up to capacity it will be fab. MK south east venue.
i would like to visit the new MK Dons stadium as it looks a nice stadium
This stadium would be a shameful part of England’s 2018 bid. What a way to promote English football, by showing to the world one of its most disgraceful episodes in recent history.
The MK stadium is a very nice stadium. The problem is tthe top still hasn’t been finished.
It would have to be finished to have a chance in hosting a game in the World Cup.
As a MK Dons fan and i go a lot and the stadium is good and very close to a Asda and Ikea and Tesco’s and train station and bus links.
I believe with the extra money coming in from the new McDonalds their will fund the top tier and the FA for the extra seeting for the world cup which is only 9 years away yet.
Plus we have good transports links with 3 major airports within a hour distance of milton keynes and the high speed West Coast Main Line and the M1 and A5.
Also we have a lot of good places for fan parks like the 65,000 cap. Stadium the Bowl and Shopping Centre and the Hub Mk which has been a big development in milton keynes.Plus we have a hotel in the Stadium in milton keynes which is run by Doubletree by Hilton at the Stadium plus the hub mk and shopping centre has a lot of hotels plus a few Premier Inns and Traveloges around. Plus a Training ground for the players. also in the 08/09 season the pitch and gound was voted the best in Coke-cola League 1. plus milton keynes is only 40 years old and still expanding with one of the best shopping centres in the country plus the Xscape with a snow slop and sky diving and lots of other places to go. the world cup will bring the worlds biggest event to milton keynes and young people is great here and be brillant here in MK i very hope it’s milton keynes because it will bring loads gereat stuff i will love it here and i would love to go
Go MK
South East Venue
plus The initial configuration of the stadium uses only the lower tier to hold 22,000, but using the upper tier there is provision to increase the capacity to 32,000. However, should it be needed there is also an option to increase the maximum capacity to 45,000 with the introduction of a new tier. When complete the design will comply with UEFA’s Elite Stadium specifications and includes a Desso GrassMaster playing surface.
Haha! Had to laugh…I mean seriously…Milton Keynes? Why does there have to be another SE venue? There will be at least 2 in London.
We may live in the south, but we don’t all live in London.
So why did we come to Milton Keynes?
95% of our population moved out of those other crumbling cities and one-horse market towns so that we could enjoy:
- The freedom from traffic jams on a modern grid system
- Easy wheelchair and pram access anywhere in the city
- Flat, safe pavements and roads that have no potholes nor pollution
- Modern venues that have been built in the past decade or less, rather than buildings that date from over a century ago
- Up-to-the-minute facilities that have been designed with future generations in mind
- A cosmopolitan fanbase that really gets behind its team
- Investment, jobs and prosperity – a real future, with real prospects!
To understand MK, you have to experience it.
As those who’ve moved here will testify – there’s no point knocking it if you haven’t tried it.
dons rule they should have the final there
dons2 1norwich we have a great stadium the team is better then leeds and leicester
Contry to some peoples beliefs Milton Keynes hosting a World Cup match would be everything that is right.
With a chairman who has the vision, confidence and determination to do what he has done is everything that is British and what we as a country are all about but often fail to show.
When the stadium is 45,000 seater it will be one of only 12 football grounds currently with a capacity of over 40,000 in the English league. It would even be bigger than Chelsea!
In two seasons at Stadium MK they have hosted 2 under 21 England matches and an England Vs World XI all stars match.
There would be upraw among the genuine football fraternity if the plastic town was ever selected.
Hull, Derby, Milton Keynes?!!
Give the cup to the USA, they will do a better job.
Take your blinkers off for one moment.
Milton Keynes is a town with good rail links, road links, and direct transport to Birmingham and Luton airports (Heathrow and Gatwick also reasonably convenient). There is much green space for the “fan zones”…and then there’s the stadium itself.
The MK bid team have submitted plans to expend, to 45,000, what is already a spacious, comfortable, and modern stadium with advanced turf management and cushioned seating in all areas.
MK Dons may be a “plastic club”, but this makes no difference to the city or the stadium. THE REST OF THE WORLD WON’T CARE. So what makes you say this city should be rejected in favour of, say, Plymouth, or Nottingham, or even Sheffield?
only problem i can see is mk has the highest pop. in the country without a hospital, which could be important. otherwise a great city would love to see world cup games there
What ever happens with your bid you should commend Pete winkleman what an ambassador and what great work this man has done with plastic City. His hardwork deserves a world cup i am leicester city fan living locally to MK but the enery of Winkleman is fantastic and I for one think this man brings world cup to MK should be given key to the city. Well done Mr Winkleman you are a credit to football
In response to the comment (no. 19) by Tom:
With more than 230,000 people resident in MK and its surrounding Borough, we are a dynamically growing, young population, with approximately 3,500 to 4,000 babies born in the New City every year.
So where do you think over a quarter of a million citizens go when they get sick or give birth?
http://www.mkgeneral.nhs.uk/
There’s Accident and Emergency and even a Walk In Centre, open 24 hrs.
Come and visit Milton Keynes, you never know what wonderful things you might find!
Interesting comment number 19.
So many people love to comment on MK but have they actually lived and worked here in recent times? Perhaps if they had, they would know that MK General has been serving the New City (and the quarter of a million people in its vicinity) for more than 25 years.
I’d rather the Germans got it than Franchise FC !
We are trying to sell tradition and values … MK has neither
Congratulations to MK – Milton Keynes will be part of England’s 2018 World Cup bid after being named as a candidate host alongside 11 cities on 16th December 2009!
Say NO to franchising in football.
Say NO to Franchise FC.
Say NO to McStadium for 2018.
Say NO to England 2018.
Winkleman must have some compromising photos of FA board members. I’m not commenting on how good or bad Milton Keynes is but how they beat other more worthy football grounds is beyond me. Derby anyone, Ipswich maybe?
Not to sure about having MK Dons as a candidate. It’s not the stadium or roads links which I must admit are very good, it comes down to how long MK Dons have been established as a club and how they where established.