2 Dec 2010

Pitch invasion worst possible advertisement for England's world cup bid

6:21 pm on 2 December 2010

Just a day before a decision is made on which countries will host the 2018 and 2022 football world cups, English fans have have put on the worst possible advertisement for England's bid.

Ugly scenes marred Birmingham City's 2-1 League Cup quarter-final victory over local rivals Aston Villa with fans ripping up seats and throwing flares into the crowd after a post-match pitch invasion.

It was reminiscent of scenes that were once a common feature in English football with City manager Alex McLeish, saying it takes the game back to the Dark Ages.

There are four bidders for the 2018 tournament - England, Russia, a combined Spain and Portugal bid along with a combined bid from the Netherlands and Belgium.

Five nations are vying to for the 2022 tournament, Japan, Australia, the United States, South Korea and Qatar.