Blowing the vuvuzela for England's 2018 bid

Does it sound like a mosquito, trapped by your ear drum?  Is it the sound of a nation cheering on its heroes?

Has it killed the wit and wonder of the song and wisecracks of the terraces?  Or has it delivered a new symphony of hope and passion?

What do you think of the vuvuzela?  Should we hand them out free at the Olympic park in London two years from now?  Or confiscate and destroy them at sight?

Let me know. But help me too, if you can, to trumpet the inimitable advantages of England as a potential venue for a future World Cup. I'm here in Cape Town as the chairman of London United, and Mayor (of course) of the world capital that is the jewel in the crown of England's 2018 bid.

When I'm stopped in the street, I make that case. I've also scheduled a string of private pitches to the men and women who will take or at least influence this decision.

I tell them every country could play to a resident home crowd in a wonderfully cosmopolitan capital. 

I tell them we are crazy about the beautiful game, that seven million of us play it every week, 30 million bought a ticket last season.

I highlight the stadiums, hospitality covers, the proximity of reliable public transport, the biggest domestic broadcast market anywhere in the world, the single largest sponsorship market in world football and the prospect of selling more than three million tickets, delivering a welcome boost to the British economy and the biggest dividend yet for FIFA to develop world football around the globe.

Later today I'm off to see how Charlton Athletic, British Airways, and the Metropolitan Police have teamed up with a local township here to nurture grass roots football where it can achieve the most positive impact.  Hosting the tournament would allow us to establish a global fund for football, massively expanding noble projects like this.

So help me tell this tale please as we cheer on our team. Let's help them bring back the cup.  But let's also help England by the end of this year to secure the right and privilege to host this wonderful competition eight years from now.

Sign up and show your support for England's 2018 bid now.

See more photos from the Mayor's trip to South Africa.