Evidence of Bristol's bid to represent the West in the 2018 World Cup was on display at Land's End this week as locals urged the England bid team 'don't forget about us!'.

One of Bristol's main selling points in its quest to host part of the biggest tournament in the world is its position at the gateway to the West Country.

During a month of World Cup action the entire region of about five million people, from Bristol down to the tip of the country, Land's End, would benefit as increased numbers of foreign tourists fill their days between games and locals take the opportunity to see international football on their doorstep.

Gone would be the long slog to London, the Midlands or even the North West to see the best in the world or to share in the general celebration that accompanies the World Cup wherever matches are played.

Brazil could be in Bristol, Portugal in Plymouth, and travelling times for those based in the most far flung parts of the south west cut to a maximum of three-and-a-half-hours.

The announcement that Plymouth has joined the ranks of candidate cities to host matches has been welcomed by the Bristol bid team and Bristol City chairman Steve Lansdown as demonstrating the sheer level of desire for international football in the region.

"What's most important is that we secure a host city in the South West" said Partnerships Director for Bristol City Council Stephen Wray. "It would be a disaster now if both bids were overlooked and the South West was ignored.

"We had good feedback after our first visit by the England bid team and the bottom line is that if we are successful we would be looking at ways of involving the rest of the region. It is a regional bid in every sense. So the fact they are working up ideas to be part of the tournament is good news."

Mr Lansdown, who is directly funding a significant proportion of the proposed new Bristol City stadium which could host World Cup fixtures, said he welcomed the competition.

"I think it will help focus minds on Bristol City Council and remind them that (Bristol's selection) is not a foregone conclusion," he said. "There's still competition coming in and they will have to work hard to provide the resources to make it happen. They have embraced it well to date, they've worked very hard on it and I believe they will deliver."

Tourists and locals posed with 'Back the Bid' scarves in front of the famous signpost at the end of the South West peninsular, this week on the exposed cliff top at the end of the land, which lures tourists along the length of Cornwall.

The county hosts some of the country's most beautiful landscapes and tourist attractions, including the highly successful Eden Project and a multitude of famous Cornish coves such as Sennen by Lands End.

Oli George, 23, plays for Sennen FC, the westernmost team in mainland England.

His side are experiencing a football revival after disappearing for 10 years because of a lack of youngsters in the village.

"We had to start again," said George, whose side re-entered the local football scene at the bottom of Division Three of the Miners' League.

Within five years they have gained promotion to Division One, and the prize of a trip to watch World Cup football within the West Country would cap a significant revival of the sport in his eyes.

"Adidas came to the Scilly Isles to film one of their football ads with David Beckham and Steven Gerrard but otherwise we're a bit forgotten down here," said George, who used to make the occasional, punishing, day-return trip to London to watch Arsenal.

"There's a hell of a local interest in football in this neck of the woods. Without a shadow of a doubt we would be arranging coach loads to go up there to Bristol (or Plymouth) and it would be sold out 10-fold."

Anne Sanders, one of the photographers who snaps visitors in front of the Lands End sign that they can then personalise, said: "We get a lot of football shirts here and people put up the name of their team on the sign. People seem to go a bit barmy over football. To have the World Cup reach the South West would be brilliant. We'd get all sorts of requests."