SFA prepared to step in and host Euro 2012 SFA CHIEF executive Gordon Smith will put Scotland forward to host the 2012 European Championships if Uefa strips Poland and Ukraine of the tournament.
Preparations for the event are well behind schedule and unless there is substantial progress over the next five months alternative hosts will be sought.
This warning was issued at last week's Uefa congress in Zagreb, Croatia, and follows an independent report compiled by the director general of the 1998 World Cup, Jacques Lambert.
Smith, who was at the congress, stated: "If Poland and Ukraine pulled out we would put Scotland forward and say we wanted to be considered for it. In the meantime, we'd speak to the Scottish government and try to get a feasibility study done as to the costs and what's required in terms of stadium upgrades."
The first minister, Alex Salmond, is already on record as saying there was "absolutely no reason" why Scotland could not stage a bid for the 2016 championships. But by then, Uefa may have decided to increase the number of finalists to 20, or even 24, taking the tournament beyond Scotland's resources. If it became available for 2012, it could be Scotland's last chance to host the event. Last night, a spokesman for the Scottish government said: "If the SFA chose to investigate the possibility of staging the tournament and decided to apply to host it, it would have the full backing of the government."
The timing would also be convenient for the SFA, as the Olympics will be held in London that year. The association is resisting pressure to contribute to a British team in 2012, but public interest in that would fade in comparison to a major football tournament in Scotland.
Smith said: "We've had a lot of encouragement from the government, who said if we went for a European Championship they would be very supportive. They would have to be, because of the financial work required. We'd need to get more stadiums up to specification - in Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh."
Uefa chief executive David Taylor, the former SFA head who was involved in Scotland's failed bid- with the Republic of Ireland - to land Euro 2008, said of the Poland and Ukraine bid: "There has been some progress, but it needs to be accelerated. Over the next six months we need to see major steps forward, and there will be close monitoring by Uefa of the situation in that period of time."
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Posted by: Euan, Dundee on 10:23pm Sat 2 Feb 08
Isn't it great to see Scotland showing ambition like this? I'm all for it!
Isn't it great to see Scotland showing ambition like this? I'm all for it!
Posted by: peds, feldy on 10:34pm Sat 2 Feb 08
Nice one send it on
Posted by: Steven on 10:37pm Sat 2 Feb 08
Strikes me as highly unlikely that Poland and Ukraine would be stripped of the tournament. Not only the logistical but the political implications would be huge.
Strikes me as highly unlikely that Poland and Ukraine would be stripped of the tournament. Not only the logistical but the political implications would be huge.
Posted by: Craigy, Glasgow on 1:00am Sun 3 Feb 08
[bold]To rub it in we could get Polish people over to do the work[/bold]
To rub it in we could get Polish people over to do the work Posted by: fergus on 4:04am Sun 3 Feb 08
What a daft peice of journalism -- is there nothing better to write about. Of course they will not move the event. The powers that be used similar pressure to get South Africa moving for the World Cup and China to reduce pollution levels for the Olympics. Both will of course succeed.
In the most unlikely of cases that they do move it do you really think that Italy would not step in --the beaten finalist in the selection process.??? Come on stop writing such drivel.
What a daft peice of journalism -- is there nothing better to write about. Of course they will not move the event. The powers that be used similar pressure to get South Africa moving for the World Cup and China to reduce pollution levels for the Olympics. Both will of course succeed.
In the most unlikely of cases that they do move it do you really think that Italy would not step in --the beaten finalist in the selection process.??? Come on stop writing such drivel.
Posted by: wenceslas, Clacks on 6:57am Sun 3 Feb 08
Never mind the reality - its a chance for Alex S to issue another sound-byte.
Never mind the reality - its a chance for Alex S to issue another sound-byte.
Posted by: stev, scotland on 8:09am Sun 3 Feb 08
[quote][bold]Craigy[/bold] wrote:
[bold]To rub it in we could get Polish people over to do the work[/bold] [/quote] get polish people over..........we are bloody surrounded by them.
Craigy wrote:
To rub it in we could get Polish people over to do the work
get polish people over..........we are bloody surrounded by them.
Posted by: joe90, Wishaw on 9:24am Sun 3 Feb 08
Good to see the mmoderators of The Sunday Herald comments section doing their bit to promote racism in Scotland.
I'd rather have honest decent Polish folk anyday, whom we went to war for in 1939, than these Scottish racist dregs above, who wouldn't look out of place in Hitler's Germany.
Good to see the mmoderators of The Sunday Herald comments section doing their bit to promote racism in Scotland.
I'd rather have honest decent Polish folk anyday, whom we went to war for in 1939, than these Scottish racist dregs above, who wouldn't look out of place in Hitler's Germany.
Posted by: Ggehfzejjfefe, France on 10:10am Sun 3 Feb 08
Oh right and we have the stadia have we ? Three in one city plus Murrayfield and - at a stretch - Pittodrie ? It won't work.
At a push we could ask for assistance from Wales and the Republic of Ireland but I don't see that happening.
Like Fergus, I believe UEFA have a Plan B. The French too have enough top-class stadia to bail them out.
Joe90 - where do you see Nazism in the above ? Chill out.
Oh right and we have the stadia have we ? Three in one city plus Murrayfield and - at a stretch - Pittodrie ? It won't work.
At a push we could ask for assistance from Wales and the Republic of Ireland but I don't see that happening.
Like Fergus, I believe UEFA have a Plan B. The French too have enough top-class stadia to bail them out.
Joe90 - where do you see Nazism in the above ? Chill out.
Posted by: joe90, Wishaw on 10:26am Sun 3 Feb 08
The nazis were racists. The nazis attacked Poland. The Scots defended Poles and Poland. These are matters of historical record.
However, what I did say was -
[quote]these Scottish racist dregs above,...wouldn't look out of place in Hitler's Germany[/quote]
Granted, not all racist are nazis but then I didn't accuse this anti-Polish Scottish racists of being nazis.
I was just pointing out the fact that once upon a time, Scottish People sacrificed themselves for Poles and Polish freedom, and racist dregs like these are spitting on their graves and besmirching the memory of their struggle.
These Scottish racist dregs have more in common with nazism than they do with Scotland and its historic fraternal relations with Poland.
Racism and its apologists have no place in our community - so why the comment moderators at The Sunday Herald are giving racists a public platfrom to spout their racist filth I don't know.
The nazis were racists. The nazis attacked Poland. The Scots defended Poles and Poland. These are matters of historical record.
However, what I did say was -
these Scottish racist dregs above,...wouldn't look out of place in Hitler's Germany
Granted, not all racist are nazis but then I didn't accuse this anti-Polish Scottish racists of being nazis.
I was just pointing out the fact that once upon a time, Scottish People sacrificed themselves for Poles and Polish freedom, and racist dregs like these are spitting on their graves and besmirching the memory of their struggle.
These Scottish racist dregs have more in common with nazism than they do with Scotland and its historic fraternal relations with Poland.
Racism and its apologists have no place in our community - so why the comment moderators at The Sunday Herald are giving racists a public platfrom to spout their racist filth I don't know.
Posted by: Martin Mackay, Inverness on 10:47am Sun 3 Feb 08
joe90 the only person being close to racist or a nazi on this thread is you. Amazing - a few comments about poles none derogitory in any way and you jump in with both feet looking like a bigot. You must surely support one side of the Old Firm? Looking for problems where there is none. Crawl back under the rock you appeared from please.
joe90 the only person being close to racist or a nazi on this thread is you. Amazing - a few comments about poles none derogitory in any way and you jump in with both feet looking like a bigot. You must surely support one side of the Old Firm? Looking for problems where there is none. Crawl back under the rock you appeared from please.
Posted by: Khalifa, overseas and far away on 10:49am Sun 3 Feb 08
Looks like joe90 woke up with a mission to pick a fight today.
Unless the moderators have been deleting posts then I fail to see anything even remotely racist in any of the replies.
Looks like joe90 woke up with a mission to pick a fight today.
Unless the moderators have been deleting posts then I fail to see anything even remotely racist in any of the replies.
Posted by: Steve, Bo'ness on 10:52am Sun 3 Feb 08
Joe, wind your neck in for god's sake!
Poles are overwhelmingly welcomed here, they are good honest people, and very hard workers. Saying there's a lot of them doesn't turn someone automatically into a nazi.
Joe, wind your neck in for god's sake!
Poles are overwhelmingly welcomed here, they are good honest people, and very hard workers. Saying there's a lot of them doesn't turn someone automatically into a nazi.
Posted by: joe90, Wishaw on 11:07am Sun 3 Feb 08
Yes I know,
look at the comments come flying in from the xenophobes!
I only made 2 comments myself, both of them anti-racist, pointing out The Sunday Herald's seeming policy of allowing its comments section to be used as a platform for xenophobic bigots and their apologists.
By the same token, saying there are a lots of Jews and blacks, doesn't make you a bigot either, I presume - what a strange definition of bigotry.
[quote]Poles are overwhelmingly welcomed here[/quote]
- As long as there's not too many of them.
Yes I know,
look at the comments come flying in from the xenophobes!
I only made 2 comments myself, both of them anti-racist, pointing out The Sunday Herald's seeming policy of allowing its comments section to be used as a platform for xenophobic bigots and their apologists.
By the same token, saying there are a lots of Jews and blacks, doesn't make you a bigot either, I presume - what a strange definition of bigotry.
Poles are overwhelmingly welcomed here
- As long as there's not too many of them.
Posted by: Khalifa, overseas and far away on 11:48am Sun 3 Feb 08
[quote][bold]stev[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]Craigy[/bold] wrote: [bold]To rub it in we could get Polish people over to do the work[/bold] [/quote] get polish people over..........we are bloody surrounded by them.[/quote] As far as I can see these are the racist, xenophobic comments that all of Scotland should be ashamed of.
Joe, what a prize tool you really are.
Where I am you can't go down the street without bumping into a bloody Scot.
Oh dear, there I go spouting more bile.
Nurseries, full of bloody kids. I think I've taken my intolerance and ignorance to a whole new level...............
stev wrote:
Craigy wrote: To rub it in we could get Polish people over to do the work
get polish people over..........we are bloody surrounded by them.
As far as I can see these are the racist, xenophobic comments that all of Scotland should be ashamed of.
Joe, what a prize tool you really are.
Where I am you can't go down the street without bumping into a bloody Scot.
Oh dear, there I go spouting more bile.
Nurseries, full of bloody kids. I think I've taken my intolerance and ignorance to a whole new level...............
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