The Black Cats today launched their bid for host city status should the Football Association be successful in their efforts to land the World Cup in 2018.

Sunderland is one of 15 cities, including Newcastle-Gateshead, hoping to play its part in the event.

Quinn firmly believes his club, who recently welcomed Take That and Oasis to the Stadium of Light for sell-out shows, can take centre stage as it continues its resurgence.

He said: "You have got to have belief and you have got to have plans and you have got to have achievable targets.

"At the start, people might have said we were dreaming, trying to get into the Premier League, but we are about to embark on our third year now.

"It's been scary and it's been tight at times, but it's real progress.

"Sometimes success and failure are defined by the slightest of margins, and we have learnt that in this past six weeks.

"But you don't stop and say, 'God, that was great', you kick on, you take advantage of it.

"The concerts were fantastic and we look like we are going to be a venue here for as long as we are sensible.

"But that's not enough. We want bigger events and for the greatest show on earth to come here would be colossal, and why not aim for it?

"Why should we feel inferior? We have done that for far too long at this club."

Quinn believes the World Cup bid represents a chance for Sunderland as a city and the north-east as a whole to demonstrate its emergence from the collapse of its traditional heavy industries, and is confident its people hold the key.

He said: "For too long, people have talked about the mines and the shipbuilding - Sunderland has kicked on now and this is a great way of showing it to the outside world.

"There are so many good things in Sunderland, but they have been bottled up within the region for a long time now, and this for me is the showcase opportunity to make the city a modern city.

"There are 15 cities all trying to convince the FA that they are the ones that should be in there. They will all have a great infrastructure - the stadiums will be great, the training grounds will be great, although they will maybe not match up to ours.

"But I believe there is something extra to this region. The Sunderland people and the people of the region - I shouldn't just stick to Sunderland, I should talk about Tyneside, I should talk about Durham, talk about Teesside, Tees Valley, Northumberland, all these places - when that passion and that football passion starts to show itself, that will be a big feather in the FA's cap."

The Sunderland and Newcastle bid teams resisted the temptation to launch a joint campaign for fear that both might have missed out, but Quinn is hoping the north-east can provide dual venues.

He said: "My wish would be that we both get it and it will be a big double whammy for the region."

Meanwhile, Quinn was remaining tight-lipped on current football matters today as the club continues to be linked with a series of transfer targets.

Manager Steve Bruce is not due to return from holiday until next week, and while discussions over potential signings are ongoing, no firm decisions have yet been taken.

:: Supporters of Sunderland's bid are asked to register their vote by logging on to www.sunderland2018bid.com.