Group chief executive Colin Sexstone says the club's planned new regional stadium will be the centrepiece of Bristol's bid to host World Cup football.

The England bid team launched its drive to bring the World Cup to England in 2018 or 2022 at Wembley today.

Club officials - including chairman Steve Lansdown - joined representatives from across the city at the venue as part of a Bristol City Council-led delegation.

In all, 15 cities and towns from across the country are competing to be one of eight or nine candidate host cities named by the bid team in their submission to FIFA - the game's world governing body.

If successful, Bristol could host four or five games, including a quarter-final, with the possible economic benefits to the city as a whole totalling £100 million-plus.

Colin says: "This is quite simply the biggest event that could happen in Bristol in our lifetime, and we should grab it with both hands

"Competition to be one of the host cities in England's bid will intense, but Bristol has got a lot going for it. Bristol's reputation as one of England's great cities will play a massive part.

"Everyone in Bristol now has to get behind this bid. It's only by working together and bringing all our energies and passion for Bristol together that we'll succeed.

"A new regional stadium for Bristol will be the centrepiece of the bid. Bristol City Football Club will play it's part in a successful bid by developing a new regional stadium for Bristol, starting with securing planning permission this year."

A final decision on candidate host cities is not expected until the end of this year, with FIFA not due to decide on host countries until 2010.

City have already unveiled their proposals for a 30,00-seater stadium at a site in Ashton Vale - with the option of expanding to 42,000 seats in the event of World Cup football.

The club are due to lodge a planning application for the project later this month. If successful, the new stadium is due to open in time for the 2012/13 season.

For more information on the project see our New Stadium section.