Join our live blog on World Cup bid handover

MOVES to bring the World Cup to the North East kick off today as bosses hand in their bids to host the football tournament.

Delegates from Newcastle Gateshead and Sunderland have travelled to London to submit their formal applications to be included in England's bid to be a host city in either 2018 or 2022.

Officials have spent months producing detailed documents outlining what each area has to offer, including training bases, hotels and fan parks.
Now, the applications are being handed over at the new Wembley stadium during a series of special ceremonies.

Toon Legends including Alan Shearer, David Ginola and Jack Charlton are at the venue for the event, while Sunderland's delegation includes chairman Niall Quinn, striker Kenwyne Jones, and chief executive of Sunderland City Council Dave Smith.

We'll be providing live coverage from the capital and bringing you interviews with the main players as they seek to put the North East on the global stage.

We also want your thoughts on the bids, and with Newcastle United pushing for an immediate return to the Premier League, and Sunderland making moves towards the top half of the division, it's a great time for the region to highlight what we have to offer.

To get involved, come back here from 11.30am or click below to set a reminder.