FAI keen on new Euro bid

The Football Association of Ireland intend to approach Scotland about launching a second joint bid to host the 2012 European Championships.

The ambitious plans were discussed at the FAI’s annual general meeting in Derry yesterday, despite being able to offer just one suitable stadium - Lansdowne Road.

The FAI know Scotland has three venues in Glasgow alone which would meet the criteria – Hampden Park, Parkhead and Ibrox – and they now hope to link up again with the Scottish Football Association for a renewed Celtic bid.

The two nations failed in their attempts to stage the tournament in 2008, losing out to Austria and Switzerland after UEFA deemed their proposal the most impressive out of seven contenders.

The Celtic bid failed even to reach the final four.

But FAI chief executive Fran Rooney is undeterred by past failures and hope they can persuade the Scots to come on board.

Their next step would be to make contact with the SFA.

Rooney told the FAI’s official website, www.fai.ie: “We are looking at the possibility of staging the tournament.

“We will of course have to formally approach the Scottish FA once more, with only one stadium at our disposal, a revamped Lansdowne Road.”