IN 2018 it will be more than half a century since England hosted the World Cup – a sobering thought for those of us who huddled around black and white TV sets at the time.

It was simpler back then. It had been a straight fight between England and West Germany over who should stage the tournament.

Fifa chose England in 1960. The announcement caused hardly a ripple in the media. It was another two years before the grounds were selected We probably thought we had an automatic right to success on and off the pitch in those days. We’re a lot wiser now, on both counts. But after this week and the visit of the Fifa delegation to facilities in our region, I think we can all feel a lot more confident that the cup, and the economic benefits it brings, will come back to us.

I’m confident for a number of reasons.

At the Stadium of Light, St James’ Park and Middlesbrough’s Rockliffe Hall, near Darlington, the six inspectors will have seen world-class venues and facilities.

They will also have met, in Niall Quinn and Steve Gibson, people with credibility and charisma. Quinn and Gibson are among the few people in football who combine the passion of a fan with the vision and drive of good business people. I’ve visited Rockliffe Hall and it’s the kind of place you could put down anywhere in the world and people would be impressed. It embodies how one man’s vision can create opportunities for thousands.

Quinn and Gibson know, too, that commercial success is founded on the wellbeing of the communities they operate in; that you have to keep close to your roots. The region is immensely lucky to have this pair who can hold their own in any company.

The inspectors will have seen a region unrecognisable from that of 50 years ago. The change has been painful and is still a work in progress. We still have a lot to do if we’re to create a prosperous, confident North-East.

But the inspectors will also have seen some of the things that we perhaps take for granted – vibrant city and town centres, a good transport infrastructure, a superb natural environment. We are also a region with the capacity and experience for hosting major events – just look at the success of the Hartlepool Tall Ships earlier this month.

It’s a prize worth winning. The World Cup will attract 18 million people to the UK. Its spin-offs for transport and construction, hospitality and accommodation will be immense.

The 12 host cities can expect to produce between £150m and £250m in investment and revenue. We need to be part of it.

I am confident, too, because the way we have responded shows we can work together as a region. Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough all bring different qualities, different assets to the table. In everything we do, we need to respect and take account of those differences. But we also need to be able to co-operate and work strategically to bring this level of investment to the region. There will be lessons for everyone from how we’ve responded to this challenge.

When Fifa announces that England has been successful on December 2, I hope it won’t be too much to ask for an acknowledgement that the enthusiasm and professionalism displayed in our region was one of the factors that swung the vote.

Perhaps it will be. Perhaps once again our only reward will be the satisfaction of knowing that we did everything asked of us. But we’ll know the truth and we shouldn’t be shy about sharing it with everyone.