UEFA team to inspect Euro 2008 bid

Scotland and Ireland’s hopes of co-hosting the 2008 European football championships were today being put under the microscope.

Members of the Uefa inspection team arrived in Dublin last night at the start of a five-day tour to assess the countries’ joint-bid.

A final decision is only 88 days away and the Celtic nations are seen as front-runners alongside a four-nation Scandinavian consortium and an Austria-Switzerland coalition.

After a day in Ireland, the Uefa team are due to arrive in Dundee on Tuesday, where they are expected to meet members of the Tartan Army.

From Dundee they are due to travel south to Edinburgh to inspect Murrayfield Stadium - one of the four stadia Scotland already has in place.

On Wednesday the Uefa delegation were set to meet First Minister Jack McConnell at his official residence, Bute House.

The following day the inspectors are expected to tour the national stadium at Hampden Park in Glasgow and their trip will end on Friday with a visit to Ibrox stadium, the home of Rangers Football Club.