The aim is simple: for Bristol to be selected as a host city for one of the groups in the 2018 football World Cup. More iconic than Concorde and the most popular single-sport event on the planet, the World Cup captures the imagination like no other trophy or tournament. Germany 2006 had a cumulative TV audience - when global viewing figures for each game are added together - of 26 billion. Our city has a unique chance to play a part in the world's biggest event, putting Bristol before that staggering TV audience, watching in more than 240 countries. If we are successful it would mean us staging at least four games and the possibility of a quarter final. 2018 is a long way off but time is short. Bristol has to place its first bid before the Football Association (FA) in less than three weeks. On July 13, an FA delegation will look at our city, armed with Bristol City Council's initial bid. They will visit again in September once they have received a more detailed bid. Eight weeks later, on November 6, Bristol has to submit its final bid. Then comes the nail-biting wait for D-Day, December 14, and the announcement of the 16 stadiums to be included in the FA's bid for submission to FIFA.
Bristol Evening Post

There is every reason to think that we have a great chance to bring the World Cup to Bristol. And we must all believe it. We can often be too quick to decry our city and dismiss its ambitions. But this is the time when we need to think and speak positively. We need to talk up the positive aspects of life here and what our city can offer.
Bristol Evening Post Comment

Bristol City midfielder Marvin Elliott last night said he was delighted to have signed a new contract with the Robins that will run until June 2012. The 24-year-old had been linked with a number of Barclays Premier League clubs including Fulham, Wigan, Portsmouth and Blackburn, while Wolverhampton Wanderers had a £2 million bid turned down for him in January. Elliott has enjoyed two successful seasons with Bristol City since joining from Millwall in the summer of 2007 and has become a fans' favourite. Speaking after returning from holiday in Jamaica, he said: "Yes I've signed it and I am happy it's all sorted. At the moment I'm just concentrating on getting as fit as possible so I'm up and running for July 1."
Bristol Evening Post

Barnsley boss Simon Davey has revealed he might be hard pushed to keep Brazilian playmaker Anderson de Silva at the club. De Silva, a favourite with Reds fans, has already been subject to two bids from fellow Championship club Bristol City. But although Davey has rejected both he admitted: "Every player has a price, so we'll have to see what happens. I don't want to lose him, Anderson is an integral part of our team. Bristol came in with a bid and we rejected it - and then they came in with an improved offer, but that bid was not accepted either."
Sheffield Star

Bristol City's scheduled August 22 trip to Cardiff City's as yet unnamed new ground may have to be rearranged because U2 have a concert at the Millennium Stadium that day. Bluebirds chairman Peter Ridsdale is already in talks with South Wales Police over the possibility of moving some Championship fixtures and the scheduled visit from the Robins is one of them. However, an earlier kick-off time than the scheduled 3pm could solve the problem.
Bristol Evening Post