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SFA offers contingency plan to host Euro 2012

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Published Date: 06 June 2008
By Gavin McCAFFERTY
THE Scottish Football Association have asked to be considered as alternative hosts of the 2012 European Championship should Poland and Ukraine lose the honour.
Uefa president Michel Platini warned the co-hosts to intensify efforts to upgrade stadia, transport links and accommodation following his last visit to the two countries in February.

Platini said his next assessment, which will take place early ne
xt month, would be "decisive".

SFA chief executive Gordon Smith has told the former France manager Scotland would be keen to hold the finals should Uefa be forced to move them.

But he admits there is no guarantee Scotland would be able to stage it after reports claimed they were in the frame.

"We have asked to be considered but we are not on any standby list and we weren't told we would be getting the tournament or we would be considered for the tournament even, if Poland and Ukraine don't get it," said Smith. "All we asked for was that we would like to be considered should they not be given the tournament or the tournament be taken away from them.

"That's where we left it with Michel Platini but to find out we are favourites if Poland and Ukraine don't (measure up] is quite a shock, because we would still have to look at the whole scenario and see whether we could do it."

Uefa refused to say whether a stand-by list exists.

A spokesman said: "There has never been a question of moving the tournament. The president will be there in July and then he will make a statement."

Scotland failed in a joint bid with the Republic of Ireland to stage this year's finals and has only four stadia which meet Uefa's criteria – Celtic Park, Ibrox, Hampden and Murrayfield.

It emerged today though that Scotland was being lined up to host the 2008 tournament as Swiss officials struggled to force planning issues through several years ago.

Christophe Bosshardt, head of Project Organisation Euro2008, said: "Uefa tried to push a little bit in the right direction and they told us Scotland would be happy and ready to take games if we didn't fulfil our criteria.

"They claimed the tournament would have moved there."





The full article contains 377 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 05 June 2008 10:31 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Euro 2012
 
1

Rev. S. Campbell,

Bath 06/06/2008 00:55:57
Why doesn't the SFA bid for the Confederations Cup? It'd be good to test ourselves against some of the better world sides in a competitive tourney, and the four stadiums we have would be enough.
2

Backofthenet,

06/06/2008 07:41:19
This sounds extremely unlikely. Eight stadia are being used for Euro 2008. There are only two UEFA "starred" stadia in Scotland, Ibrox and Hampden (both 5-star rated). Plus Murrayfield could surely meet the criteria. Parkhead? I understand that only two grounds in the one city are allowed. So just the four or five stadia to find....
3

Bigwull,

edinburgh 06/06/2008 08:03:10
We don't want it.
4

busbyfh,

06/06/2008 08:27:38
Vlad - 30,000 stadium may be required.
5

hibbyspurs,

06/06/2008 09:41:59
#4

add to that, pitch lengthend & widend to meet criteria please....

#5

Agree in general but part of the reason we're not hosting it this year is that the Irish couldnt get their fingers out of their erses in the first place to come up with the stadia they needed to have in place.

Dont think it'll be taken off the eastern europeans anyway as the outcry from their mates would be unberable and we'd end up in some sort of "Eurovsion" style fiasco.
6

Jambo-ree,

06/06/2008 09:46:56
Must be the close season - what a non-story:

"We have asked to be considered but we are not on any standby list and we weren't told we would be getting the tournament or we would be considered for the tournament even, if Poland and Ukraine don't get it," said Smith.

"Uefa refused to say whether a stand-by list exists."

"Scotland....has only four stadia which meet Uefa's criteria – Celtic Park, Ibrox, Hampden and Murrayfield."

Ah, all these column inches to fill - must be tough at times ;0)

7

Jambo-ree,

06/06/2008 09:50:48
#6 Think the the problem in Ireland was the intransigence of the Gaelic Football chappies to allow their Croke Park stadium to be used for any other sport, although as rugby internationals have been played there now maybe they've had a change of heart?
8

Jambo-ree,

06/06/2008 09:53:46
#6 Incidentally the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road is underway so that would give Dublin two stadia. Looks almost as good as the Tynie plans ;0)

http://www.fcsi.org.uk/downloads/downloads_upload/The%20New%20Stadium,%20Dublin,%20Vic%20Laws.pdf
9

Who?,

06/06/2008 10:00:36
#8 - the GAA are typical irish- they saw the colour of the money and all of a sudden everything was ok.

For scotland to have any chance of hosting it (this arguement has been done soooooo many time before) they would need two out of Hampden, iborx and darkheid, 2 Murryfield for the final plus either a revamped tynecastle or easter rd from edinburgh, a new ground in aberdeen, a new ground in dundee.

For the final two grounds needed a good idea would be to approach the english FA and use newcastle's st james park. A few years ago the english fa offered the ground should the GFA require it for a bid so i doubt their stance has changed.

That leaves 1 last stadia of 30,000 seats to find. The only option for a solo bid would be to temporarily renovate invernesses ground and then put it back after the games.

However if done in conjunction with the SRU bidding for a rugby world cup then the costs would be halved.
10

Who?,

06/06/2008 10:06:32
#9- looks like a fantastic stadium.

When you look at lansdown rd, croke park, millenium stadium, wembley, twickenham and murryfield and then look at hampden (which in real terms cost more) and scottish football fan gets a red face.

All these grounds are modern stadia for the modern age except hampden which looks poor, who's views of the pitch are poor and who's size is tiny in comparison with the other major stadia in the UK and Ireland.
11

busbyfh,

06/06/2008 13:55:12
# 6

A bit like someone's cyber gob.

 

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