Yesterday, representatives from the Football Association were in Derby to hear why the city should be part of England's bid to host the World Cup. During the visit, the VIPswere given a tour of Pride Park Stadium and shown exactly what Derby has to offer.

A DELEGATION of VIPs from the Football Association have been impressed by Derby's can-do attitude during their first visit to the city.

Seven representatives from the FA came yesterday to hear why Derby should be part of England's bid to host the prestigious tournament in 2018 or 2022.

They were greeted by officials from various organisations before attending a ceremony launching Derby's campaign and touring the city and Pride Park Stadium.

It was the first of two visits the FA will pay to the area and, in their initial feedback, the delegates told Derby's bid team they were impressed with the city's can-do attitude.

They also advised the team to realise the strength of its case by raising the profile of Derby and what it has to offer.

The city was hoping the diversity of its population, which includes 182 different nationalities, its football tradition, the quality of Pride Park Stadium and its transport links would all strengthen its bid.

If picked, it is estimated that Derby could benefit from as much as £200m of investment over the next 10 years.

Jonathan Guest, city council director of regeneration and communities, said that Derby was determined to put on a good show should it secure a part in hosting the World Cup.

He said: "We had a lot of ambassadors from all areas of the city gather together to present Derby's case and they did a very good job.

"They were not only able to show how committed the city would be to hosting the World Cup if it came to Derby, but how impressive the area really is."

The FA is trying to persuade Fifa, the game's world governing body, that the World Cup should be staged in this country in 2018 or 2022 – the first time since 1966.

Derby is one of 15 cities competing to be part of the submission as the FA tries to pick 12 suitable venues.

Derby County Football Club, the city and county councils, Marketing Derby, the University of Derby and the Derby Telegraph, were among the organisations which welcomed the FA delegates yesterday.

Rams legends Roy McFarland and Archie Gemmill also met the VIPs, along with brightly-dressed youngsters representing Derby City Council's b-active campaign.

The FA delegation started their day at the Quad arts centre, in the Market Place, where they listened to a series of presentations.

Each speech focused on different aspects, such as tourism, transport and Pride Park Stadium and how they could meet World Cup standards.

The VIPs were then invited to watch the celebrations in the Market Place, before being split into groups and taken on a tour of the city.

Archie Gemmill, scorer of one of the greatest ever World Cup goals, believes the city stands a good chance of hosting the tournament.

He said: "During the presentations, the speakers made such positive points about Derby and their cases were exceptionally good.

"If the rest of the campaign continues in this way, then the city has a real chance of achieving its goal.

"Derby has a lot going for it as a city as well. Its football club has the 12th best attendance in the country, which speaks volumes, and Pride Park Stadium is fantastic.

"On top of that, the parks are very nice and could easily hold World Cup carnivals and the football training facilities in the area are second to none."

England legend Roy McFarland said he also thought the presentations had gone extremely well.

He said: "The morning presentations were great. They were very compact, direct and hit all the right spots.

"The FA also did a small presentation to outline what they want from their host cities, which is the right facilities, like hotels, but they also want to know how people in that city feel about it.

"That's appropriate because I think people in Derby and Derbyshire would want the World Cup to come to their area.

"It's a very friendly, welcoming place and, hopefully, we've sold that very important aspect of the area to the FA."

About 15 children took part in the launch ceremony in the Market Place where youngsters participated in the b-active's Threestyle football challenge, which sees 11-to-16-year-olds showcase their football tricks to music.

Wearing t-shirts with "Derby: Back the Bid" on the back, the children were watched by the FA representatives as they played inside a cage set up in the square.

Lees Brook Community Sports College pupil Aaron Mannion, 13, who took part in the celebrations, said he thought Derby had the potential to stage World Cup matches.

He said: "I think the city's got a fair chance of being chosen to host the World Cup, mainly because the people here are really friendly.

"It would be great if the tournament did come to the city because I would love to see all the different games."

Stephen Kosmala, 13, a pupil at Derby Moor Community Sports College, said: "Derby County has really good fans that turn up to every match, which shows how dedicated the city is to football."

Will Turner, the senior sport development officer for the b-active campaign, said: "We came down to show the FA anyone can get involved in football and the World Cup."

During their tour, the VIPs were taken to a number of key sites in Derby's bid.

This included Darley Park, Derby Racecourse and hotels including Breadsall Priory and Morley Hayes.

They had lunch at Pride Park Stadium, where all the World Cup matches would be held.

Derby County president and chief executive Tom Glick said he was optimistic about how the launch day went.

He said: "From both an optimistic and objective point of view, I'm convinced the FA will have gone away with a positive impression.

"The Quad was a great place to hold presentations, the activities in the Market Place were terrific and all of it emphasised the legacy the World Cup would bring to Derby and England."

The tour was designed to show the delegates how well Derby could cope with hosting the World Cup and what would need to be improved.

Councillor Joe Naitta, cabinet member for culture and leisure, said he believed the delegates had seen the best of what Derby has to offer.

He said: "The launch was about selling Derby as a good, clean and safe city, which is exactly what it is.

"The presentations were of a high calibre and I'm sure the delegates will have seen how vibrant and diverse Derby is during their tour."

The Mayor of Derby, Councillor Sean Marshall, who attended the presentations, said: "I hope the delegates will go away feeling very proud of Derby because I believe that it has an excellent chance at landing the World Cup."

Readers of the Derby Telegraph can show their support for Derby's World Cup bid in several ways by visiting www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/bid and www.therams.co.uk.

You can also pledge your support on www.derby2018bid.com and www.england2018bid.com.

Click here to read more about the World Cup bid