Euro 2008 organisers well on track for successful bid

TECHNICAL inspection of the Scotland/Ireland bid for Euro 2008 begins in Dublin this September, with the organisers believing they are well on track for a successful bid.

The process will include viewing of Croke Park, which was submitted as part of the bid, and Stadium Ireland, which has yet to make it from blueprint. Despite these obstacles, those involved are confident preparations are going well. “As Croke Park was submitted as part of the bid, it will be included as part of the technical inspection,” said Brendan Menton, FAI chief executive. “They may wish to view some stadia as part of their inspection. When the inspectors arrive, we will be able to show them details of Stadium Ireland. The commitment has been made by the Government in its Programme for Government, with a minimum capacity of 60,000. We will also be able to show them the redevelopment plans for Lansdowne Road, which will be redeveloped into a 35,000-seater stadium.”

That development, or redevelopment, work hasn’t begun on either stadia Ireland is not a point of concern. “It is not unusual for stadia to be in the planning and development stage when a bid is being made. There are still some grounds in Portugal yet to be completed for 2004.”

The Euro 2008 bid, which appears to be building quite a head of steam, received another fillip yesterday when the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern launched Diageo’s involvement with the bid, as one of the corporate sponsors. The Taoiseach recognised the importance of having private companies heavily involved with the bid.

“The joint Scotland and Ireland bid for Euro 2008 keeps going from strength to strength,” the Taoiseach said. “The full support of the private sector is a strong element of the bid and we are delighted that Diageo have committed their support. Any support from the private sector is important as it shows UEFA how strong the bid is.”

David Taylor, SFA Chief Executive, said the past few months have shown how strong the bid really is and, although it is between two separate countries, it is very much a single bid.

However, there is a confidence bubbling through this bid now, and a conviction that Scotland and Ireland are prepared to host a major footballing tournament. David Taylor talked of the team having 142 days to turn a powerful bid into a winning bid.

The other two real contenders for the tournament are the Nordic countries (although, spreading the event over four countries is thought to mitigate against them) and Austria-Switzerland, which of course, is the home of UEFA, but there are flaws in their bid too. They have enlisted the help of Arnie as an ambassador, but he doesn’t really pack the ammunition of the two best sets of supporters.