Soccer: Scotland would receive £330m boost from Euro 2008

Scotland could receive a £330m economic boost if it lands the finals of football's European Championships in 2008.

A survey carried out by DTZ Pieda Consulting for the Scottish Football Association predicts a host of benefits for the country following a successful bid.

These would include increased expenditure in local economies from the competing teams, officials and fans; enhanced infrastructure; development of football in Scotland; increased tourism exposure; and more employment and training opportunities.

It is estimated that the UK economy would benefit by about £420m.

The SFA's bid will have to go before the Union of European Football Associations by June, 2002.

But the SFA has yet to decide whether Scotland should go it alone or try to take a partner - Ireland or Wales - on board.

Scotland's First Minister Henry McLeish said: "We are one of the great football-loving nations of the world. And we definitely have the best fans in the world.

"We want to embark on a programme that would lead to those fans seeing on their home grounds the best teams Europe has to offer."

Scotland already has four top stadiums at Hampden, Ibrox, Celtic Park and Murrayfield, and it has successfully run Uefa and Fifa youth tournaments in 1970, 1989 and 1998.

A Scottish bid would be in competition with at least four others - a joint bid from Austria and Switzerland; a Scandinavian tie-up involving Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland; a Russian bid; and a joint bid from Greece and Turkey.