Bristol's 2018 World Cup bid is to benefit from the support and facilities of Swindon Town FC.

The club have added their backing after the Bristol 2018 team confirmed the County Ground's inclusion as a training venue for visiting international teams during the World Cup.

The Cotswold Water Park near Swindon has been named as one of at least four proposed team bases being put forward to the England 2018 team in Bristol's bid, and resident sides would take advantage of the 25,000-capacity County Ground following its planned facelift in 2013.

Bristol is one of 16 cities applying for host venue status for the 2018 tournament. Each applicant must submit 'venue specific hotels' and training options for teams while they are playing in the city as well as out of town suggestions where teams can base themselves for the duration of the tournament.

The Bristol team, conscious of offering a regional bid to England's campaign, have put forward Cadbury House hotel in North Somerset, Tortworth Court hotel in South Gloucestershire, MacDonald Bath Spa hotel in Bath and now the Cotswold Water Park, with training facilities at Failand, Filton WISE, Team Bath, and the County Ground respectively.

Town chairman Andrew Fitton told the Evening Post: "It would be exciting for any team in the football league to put themselves forward and let's hope we get Brazil.

"The World Cup needs to be evenly distributed around the country. There had been talk that maybe the West Country wouldn't get a location and that would be a tragedy."

Born in Newcastle, Fitton had an early insight into the merits of involvement in the most watched sporting tournament in the world, which led him to approach the Bristol bid team when they were putting out feelers to neighbouring clubs for involvement.

"Newcastle didn't have the foresight to be one of the grounds for the 1966 tournament but Sunderland did," said the Town chairman.

"Roker Park was improved, benefited from it and brought people to the region. So it is incredibly important that (the World Cup venues) are spread around the country.

"The most important thing about coming to Bristol is that it is an accessible place. Most of the teams will be flying in to Heathrow and Bristol is just at the other end of the M4.

"It's also more interesting for teams to be based in and around cities like Bristol and Newcastle rather than be lost in London."

Stephen Wray, partnerships director for Bristol City Council and member of the city's 2018 bid team, told the Evening Post that more venues could yet be announced as bases are looked at throughout the South West.

"We have to submit a minimum of four team bases but are being encouraged to offer more," he said. "Following the last inspection visit we have been looking further afield to ensure a regional spread and there could be more announcements such as the involvement of Swindon."

Swindon Town manager and former Bristol City boss Danny Wilson said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for the football club and Swindon as a town. To have the best teams in the world training at our ground would be an honour."

"We're delighted to back Bristol's bid and hope Town fans will do as much as they can too."