Campaign leader’s local link

ENGLAND’S bid to host the 2018 World Cup wouldn’t have been the same without Oldham.

And that’s because the man heading the campaign, Andy Anson, was born at the Royal Oldham Hospital.

Successful businessman Anson is CEO of England 2018 Ltd, the firm behind the FA’s bid to bring football home in eight years’ time.

Alas, it did not happen, with Russia announced as hosts and England earning just two votes.

A football enthusiast from a young age, he grew up in Rochdale and played for Manchester City’s youth team, despite his allegiances belonging to their rivals in red.

But instead of opting for a professional career in the sport, he headed to Exeter College to study mathematics.

After earning a degree his career went from strength to strength in the 1990s.

He was headhunted by the Walt Disney Company, for whom he worked for nearly four years in the consumer products department in Los Angeles — from Oldham to LA!

With Anson’s help, the company generated $7 billion in revenue, and he was promoted to chief financial officer.

A return to the UK saw Anson become Channel Four’s head of strategic planning and later managing director of Channel Four Interactive. He was responsible for the launch of sister channel E4.

He later became Manchester United’s new commercial director following David Gill’s rise to chief executive.

November 2006 saw Anson become chief executive of the European division of the Association of Tennis Professionals, where he remained for two years, before agreeing to lead England’s 2018 bid.

Despite the bid’s downfall, it surely won’t be long before the Oldham lad moves on to his next big challenge.