Brown's vision of a 'sporting nation'

Gordon Brown believes England winning the right to host the World Cup can help Britain as a whole become a "sporting nation".

The Chancellor will visit the new Wembley stadium on Monday to launch the Government's feasibility study into staging the 2018 tournament. The Football Association will receive Government support if they decide to launch a bid for the showpiece event, as made clear in the study.

"I think countries can take decisions about wanting to excel more in sport," he said in The Times. "We can make a decision that, as the Olympic nation, as a prospective World Cup nation, we are going to be a sporting nation and focus more on physical fitness, the availability and accessibility of sports in schools. This is a huge opportunity."

This weekend saw Bolton boss Sam Allardyce launch a stinging attack on the Government's attitude to sport, dubbing England a "fat, lazy nation", due to a lack of emphasis on physical education in sport.

This is type of attitude is something Brown is keen to address.

He said: "I am a great believer in competitive sports. It is still said that one in six children is obese but it is not just vital for physical fitness.

"Playing as a member of a team is good training for everything else you do in life."

The Government's feasibility study also publishes the results of a survey showing strong public support for the bid.

England would be installed as early favourites to clinch the 2018 tournament having not hosted it since 1966. South Africa will hold it in 2010 and South America four years later.

Any FA bid would have to be submitted in 2010 before a decision late the following year.