EWOOD Park could provide training facilities for some of the stars of world football if England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup is successful.

Blackburn Rovers have thrown their weight behind Liverpool’s bid to become a host city for the contest.

Yesterday 15 cities hoping to be part of England’s bid travelled in delegations to London to make their case to be in the final 10 destinations.

Competing for a spot were the likes of London, Manchester and Birmingham as well as Milton Keynes, Plymouth and Sunderland.

And while there was no East Lancashire-wide bid to become a host - despite having two Premiership teams and first-rate training facilities at Brockhall Village - Rovers hope Ewood Park would be used by one of the competing nations as a training base if Liverpool and Everton’s joint bid is successful.

The final 10 venues will be announced on December 16 and England's bid will be presented to Fifa in May 2010.

Rovers chairman John Williams said: “Blackburn Rovers is a proud football club with a rich history and, as a member of the original Football League and one of only four clubs to so far claim the Premier League crown, we would be absolutely thrilled to see Ewood Park involved as a training base for the 2018 World Cup.”

Manager Sam Allardyce said it would “fantastic” to see the ground used as a training camp.

Wigan Athletic, Preston North End and Tranmere Rovers have also offered their ground should Liverpool’s bid be successful.

Blackburn with Darwen Council leader Mike Lee, a Blackburn Rovers season ticket-holder, said the bids from Liverpool and Manchester would have scuppered East Lancashire’s chances of representing the North West as a host city.

He added: “With the best will in the world, we wouldn’t have beaten Old Trafford and Anfield.

“But it would be really good to be a training venue, and getting Germany, France or Brazil would be ideal.”

Bosses behind England’s bid to stage the contest insist it is back on track after recent claims of in-fighting and resignations from the team.