by Simon Tulett

World Cup football stars could be on their way to Dartford if England succeed in their bid to host the tournament.

Princes Park stadium, home to Dartford Football Club, has been included in the 2018 bid, fronted by the likes of David Beckham and Wayne Rooney.

If bosses at FIFA, the sport's international governing body, select England as the host nation the facility could act as a training venue for teams in the build-up to, and during, the tournament.

The 4,100 capacity stadium, in Grassbanks, only staged its first game four years ago, having been built by Dartford council for about £6.5 million.

If football's biggest prize comes to England in eight years' time, it would be a site for one-off training sessions open to spectators prior to games, which, along with a private training site and hotel elsewhere, would make it part of a 'Team Base Camp Cluster'.

For the full story see this week's Dartford Messenger.