Lessons of failed 2008 bid must be learned if SFA looks
again to Europe
SHOULD Scotland and Wales decide to go ahead with a joint bid to host
the 2016 European Championship, they will at least have access to a lot
of recent material on how to go about making such an application. Or,
more precisely, how not to go about it.
Four years ago, Scotland and Ireland entered a joint plan to host the
2008 finals, and for a time they felt they had a good chance of success.
When reality intervened at the end of 2002, however, and UEFA awarded
the event to Austria and Switzerland, it was learned that the so-called
Celtic bid had come a poor fourth out of the eight applicants.
Just as the wild-eyed optimism which preceded Scotland's journey to the
1978 World Cup was followed by a period of social realism, so failure
four years ago has understandably led the Scottish Football Association
to be extremely cautious about trying to land such a major championship
again. The SFA would do no more officially yesterday than say it had yet
to receive a formal approach from the Welsh FA, and even if such an approach
is forthcoming, the Hampden authorities would take a lot of convincing
before agreeing to go ahead.
When bidding for events of this magnitude costs serious amounts of money,
such caution should be welcomed. At the very least, the SFA will have
to subject any potential bid to a thoroughgoing forensic examination before
agreeing to give it backing.
The biggest drawback to any Scottish-Welsh bid could be the very existence
in the partnership of the Welsh. The success of Austria and Switzerland
shows there is nothing inherently unattractive in principle about a bid
by two or more countries, but Wales would surely be the junior partners,
bringing little to the table. In Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, the Welsh
have one of the finest sporting arenas in the world. It hosts around 75,000
people and boasts an electric atmosphere. In addition to that, Wales have
. . . . er, next to nothing. No stadiums with the requisite capacity and
facilities, and poor transport infrastructure other than the odd strip
of motorway.
That's not being disparaging about their relative poverty - Scotland,
after all, has more than enough of that too - but simply to recognise
that an awful lot of work would have to be done before Wales could hold
up their end of the partnership.
Our 2008 bid, initially a solo effort, was dead in the water once Ireland
became involved. At present, Wales seem to have even less to offer than
the Irish. The Millennium Stadium would inch a joint bid closer to the
eight grounds currently required. But that would still leave major decisions
to be taken about where to site the others, and how to fund improvements
required at several venues. Murrayfield, Hampden, Ibrox and Celtic Park
would all still be more than adequate ten years hence, but where would
the other stadiums be sited? Hearts plan to rebuild Tynecastle into a
30,000-seater or possibly more, but so far they have not got beyond the
planning stage. The timescales of the bid and the rebuild may not be compatible.
Further up the east coast, the debate about new or enhanced grounds in
Dundee and Aberdeen would be sure to begin again the minute the SFA expressed
a real interest in bidding. And even if both of those cities were able
to offer a ground each, and Edinburgh chipped in too, the siting of three
in Glasgow could tell against the bid.
Certainly, David Will, the former SFA president, said that was the case
when Scotland's tender for 2008 failed. "I have been told having
three stadiums in one city was also an issue," said Will, who has
held office with both UEFA and FIFA.
The distance between Scotland and Ireland, although not great, was another
factor then which would arise again if Wales were our partner. There was
also a perceived lack of political support in Ireland, while Jack McConnell's
lack of commitment helped undermine the credibility of the Scottish end.
To be fair to McConnell, he inherited a flawed plan when, in November
of 2001, he took over as First Minister from Henry McLeish. But by the
time he decided the plan - then for Scotland to bid alone - was so flawed
the Executive could only support a joint effort, he had succeeded in damaging
the credibility of the whole project. In retrospect, McConnell was correct
to have cold feet about the bid, even if there was an element of self-fulfilling
prophecy about his pessimistic assessment. This time, if we are to bid,
the First Minister will first have to commit themselves wholeheartedly.
It is quite often the way in events such as the Olympics that cities and/or
countries have to bid two or three times before having a real chance,
so Scotland should not be terminally disheartened by failure four years
ago. If they wish to avoid such ignominious rejection again, however,
the SFA will have to proceed with scrupulous attention to detail.
PROS AND CONS OF A EURO BID
FOR
Scotland would qualify automatically as hosts, a big plus given they
have failed to make it to the final stages of major tournament since 1998
It would reinvigorate interest in the game in this country. Look at
the impact Euro 96 had on English football
It would lead to an upgrade of our stadiums and the creation of new
ones
AGAINST
SFA officials are still wiping the egg off their faces from the failed
bid to stage Euro 2008
We would spend millions developing stadiums which could be left half-empty
after the tournament finishes
It's better to go it alone, especially when the final would almost certainly
go to the bigger and better Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in a joint staging
STUART BATHGATE. ,
14-Dec-06.
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