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Scots and Welsh discuss bid
By Ben Rumsby
The Scottish and Welsh football associations are set for talks in February
over the prospect of co-hosting the 2016 European Championships. The Scottish
Football Association and Football Association of Wales both confirmed
yesterday "tentative" discussions over launching a joint bid
for the event had taken place.
Scotland's long-standing aim of staging the finals appeared to have ended
in September when Uefa announced they were increasing the number of participants
from 16 to 24 in eight years' time. The country lacks the infrastructure
to host an expanded tournament but the SFA are looking to link up with
one of their near neighbours in the hope a combined bid will be successful.
They have also held talks with Northern Ireland, but it is believed this
is a non-starter, leaving Wales as the only viable alternative.
An SFA spokesman said: "We would love to host the European Championships
in Scotland. However, we realise it's a huge undertaking and, as far as
2016 goes, we simply couldn't host it by ourselves. We're meeting with
the other Home Nations at the International Football Association board
meeting in Belfast in February.
"I'm sure it's something we'll discuss. If there was a feeling that
a bid was a possibility, we would then commission a feasibility study."
Talks between the SFA and the FAW over a joint bid have been mooted for
more than a year, with the latter revealing in April 2007 they hoped to
enter into discussions. But today marked the first time the SFA have confirmed
such talks have taken place.
An FAW spokesman said "very tentative" discussions have been
ongoing for some time. The FAW secretary general, David Collins, said:
"The matter is on the agenda for our council meeting next week."
Uefa decided in September to expand the European Championship finals from
2016.
The SFA chief executive, Gordon Smith, had lobbied for the change, despite
admitting it would rule his country out of bidding individually for future
tournaments. However, as the expansion gives Scotland a much better chance
of qualifying, Smith felt it was a sacrifice worth making.
Uefa are set to seek bid submissions for the 2016 finals in the spring
and the expansion is likely to see the number of 30,000-plus stadia needed
to host the tournament increase from eight to at least 10. Scotland currently
boasts only four such grounds and Wales just one, but most bidding countries
start from a position of having to develop existing facilities or build
new ones. That includes Poland and Ukraine, who are hosting the 2012 finals.
The Uefa general secretary, David Taylor, insists Scotland would be a
"great place" to hold the tournament. Former SFA chief executive
Taylor, who was involved in the unsuccessful bid to bring Euro 2008 to
Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, added in The Herald: "It would
be terrific. But I must be careful here. My enthusiasm for and advice
to any country could be perceived in the wrong way. Many countries in
Uefa are capable of hosting the tournament."
The prospect of a Scotland bid received backing from across the country's
political spectrum. The sports minister, Stewart Maxwell, of the Scottish
National Party, said: "Ultimately it will be for the SFA to decide
whether to bid to host Euro 2016.
"Given that Uefa has increased the number of teams that qualify for
the finals to 24 from 2016 onwards, it would be a major challenge to meet
the stadium requirements. But I'm sure every football fan in Europe would
relish the possibility of their nation hosting or co-hosting such a prestigious
and major event as football's European championship."
Independent.co.uk,
4 December 2008
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