The reputation of soccer in the Republic of Ireland suffered another bodyblow in Geneva yesterday when UEFA awarded the 2008 European Championships to Austria and Switzerland.
Tenuous hopes that a year dogged by the controversy and bitterness of the World Cup would have a happier ending proved to be nothing more than wishful thinking as the Ireland-Scotland bid fell at almost the first hurdle in the race to host the third-biggest event in world sport after the Olympics and World Cup.
Although a huge amount of effort, particularly from the Scots, went into the bid the signs were ominous from an early stage that Switzerland and Austria fulfilled all the criteria for staging an event of this scale. While the entire argument in Ireland centred on the stadium issue, the Swiss and Austrians knew that their central position in Europe and their infrastructural excellence with good roads, railways and accommodation met the exacting standards demanded.
More importantly, the Swiss and Austrians are vastly more experienced in dealing with the political intrigue that is now an integral part of any successful bid to stage a major sports event. Switzerland is, after all, the home of both UEFA and FIFA, which was an obvious bonus in yesterday's vote.
The confidence that the Irish stadium issue would not be an impediment to a successful bid proved to be misplaced. The highly influential national teams committee of UEFA was sceptical that Ireland could deliver on its side of the bargain to provide the requisite stadiums. That view would be shared by most of the Irish electorate who have watched the almost farcical handling of the Croke Park and Abbotstown projects by the Government over the last two years.
Question marks may also have arisen yesterday about the location of some of the Scottish stadiums - but at least they are built. While the Irish Government might like to see some of the blame for yesterday's result apportioned to the GAA for failing to open Croke Park, that would be unfair and far too convenient. In the past three years the Fianna Fáil-PD Coalition has managed to convince the FAI to abandon its Eircom Park plan, ditch its own grandiose plans for Abbotstown and play a bizarre cat-and-mouse game with the GAA over Croke Park.
Irish sport needs a commonsense approach on stadiums that appears to be beyond the current Government. Yesterday it got its answer when unfounded optimism over a literally groundless bid came unstuck.