The supermarket giant has been invited to build an outlet in Bedmintser, provided Bristol City Football Club gets permission to build a new stadium.

The club's chief executive Colin Sexstone has warned that without Tesco's involvement they cannot build a new £30 million stadium at nearby Ashton Vale and without that they would not be able to involved in the World Cup if England are awarded the event.

But about 150 local campaigners marched the length of North Street carrying banners and shouting chants.

Protester Chris Uttley said: "There's any number of alternatives which will be much better than this giant supermarket which is being proposed."

The proposed new stadium is set to have a capacity of 44,000, comfortably inside the FIFA minimum requirement of 40,000 to host World Cup matches.

Sexstone said: "We can't go ahead [with a World Cup bid] without a new stadium.

"With the best will in the world neither Ashton Gate nor the Memorial Stadium can hold 44,000.

"The World Cup bid is dependent on the new stadium.

"It's the cornerstone of the application."

Bristol City Council's Deputy Leader Simon Cook, who is in charge of the application for the new stadium, echoed Sexstone's warning. 

He said: "If the stadium can't happen because the planning applications that Bristol City Football Club have put in for Ashton Gate are not approved and it fails, then it fails.

"But we hope it won't."

The Tesco and Ashton Vale plans are due to be considered in separate applications in early November.

A planning officer will recommend the Council approve or reject the Ashton Vale and Tesco applications on technical grounds.

It will then be up to a panel of Councillors to make the final decision.

It is now clear that if those Councillors reject the Tesco bid, or the stadium plan, they will also reject Bristol's hopes of becoming a World Cup host city.

A spokesman for Tesco said: "It's Bristol City's application and we're pleased to have been invited.

"It would enable the club to build a new stadium, potentially to host international football and be part of the 2018 World Cup bid.

"If city's scheme is approved, we hope to increase choice.

"We understand it's a vibrant shopping street and expect to bring more people into the area."

Bristol is the second city whose application to host World Cup matches is dependent on building a new stadium to have hit major problems this week.

Earlier this week, as reported on insidethegames, Nottingham's plans suffered a setback when the County Council refused to support a proposal to build a new stadium in Gamston.

Kay Cutts, the Conservative Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, accused the City Council of trying to force them to adopt the scheme by making it public through the media.


Related stories
July 2009: Hosting 2018 World Cup in Bristol would match Brunel
May 2009: Bristol hopes for 2018 World Cup role could rest to Tesco