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Just before midnight sources said they believed agreement was close on how many departments a new Northern Ireland government should have, and on new crossborder bodies. Although an element of caution remained, given that the talks broke down two weeks ago when agreement seemed imminent, most participants said they believed an accord was not far off. NORTHERN IRELAND parties appeared to be on the point of a substantial breakthrough on new administrative structures last night after a day of talks at Stormont. An England 2006 delegation, including Banks, visits Spain.NOVEMBER 1998Sir Bobby, McGivan, Banks and Kelly travel to Cameroon and Mali, to meet, amongst others, the organisers of the 2002 African Nations Cup in Mali.DECEMBER 1998Sir Bobby and McGivan travel to Thailand to promote the bid.. The secretary of the Thai FA and Fifa executive member, Worawi Makudi, visits London to discuss England's bid and the establishment of closer links between the two associations with FA officials including Wiseman. The England 2006 team, including Banks, hold a media briefing at the European Cup-Winners' Cup final in Stockholm.JULY 1998The British Ambassador in Paris, Sir Michael Jay, and Wiseman host a reception in the British Embassy in Paris to celebrate France 98 and network with Fifa executive committee members.OCTOBER 1998Blair invites the Fifa president, Sepp Blatter, to 10 Downing Street to sell England's bid.
Also present are a 2006 bid delegation including Banks, Kelly and Wiseman.England 2006 campaign team travel to South America, where the Argentine president Carlos Menem and Julio Grondona, president of the Argentine FA and vice-president of Fifa, both say they are supporting England's bid.APRIL 1998Sir Bobby, Banks and McGivan fly to Qatar to meet His Highness The Amir of Qatar, the Fifa executive member Mohammed Bin Hammam.The England 2006 team, including Gary Lineker, travel to the Stade de France in Paris to attend Soccerex 98, the international football conference.MAY 1998Wiseman and McGivan attend the Concacaf congress to present the 2006 bid. Sir Bobby, Alec McGivan (campaign director), the Sports Minister Tony Banks and `FA top officials' travel to Costa Rica, Trinidad and the US, each of which are represented on the 24-man Fifa executive committee which will decide where the 2006 World Cup will be staged.DECEMBER 1997Sir Geoff Hurst and Sir Bobby travel with Glenn Hoddle to the France 98 draw in Marseilles to campaign for the England 2006 bid.JANUARY 1998The 2006 team travel to Football Expo in Singapore.FEBRUARY 1998Sir Bobby, McGivan, Banks and Wiseman travel to Japan, South Korea and Thailand, the latter two of which are represented on the Fifa executive committee.MARCH 1998The Fifa president, Dr Joao Havelange, meets the Prime Minister Tony Blair in Downing Street. Were the presentations in Seoul impressive? "I'm sorry but I can't remember exactly what they said," he admitted.THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL SO FARHow the England 2006 World Cup campaigners have lobbied around the globeOCTOBER 1997Sir Bobby Charlton, the England 2006 campaign team and the British Ambassador in Italy promote the bid by speaking to the international media at England's France 98 qualifier in Rome. Thirdly, since the visit - itself something not undertaken so far by any other bidder such as Germany or South Africa - they have regularly sent "PR material", said the official.
"They were trying to explain why they wanted the World Cup," a senior Korean FA official said yesterday. Next, with the help of the British ambassador to South Korea, they arranged an intimate dinner in a plush Seoul restaurant with Dr Mong Chung, a Fifa vice-president and one of the 24 people who's support they need. There is no better illustration of that point than the account of a senior South Korean FA official of a visit made by Banks, McGivan and other campaigners to Seoul in February.Firstly the campaign team made a 2006 presentation to Korean football officials in the World Cup 2002 headquarters. "The way to persuade people to vote for you is to persuade them England is the best place for the World Cup," he said, and added that Kelly and Wiseman's contacts and standing in the world game had been invaluable.It is hard to judge what impact Kelly's resignation and Wiseman's involvement in the gifts to Wales affair will have, if any, on the 2006 bid.