Brave hearts replaced by brave faces

SCOTTISH football officials were putting a brave face on the refusal of the Scottish Executive to back a solo bid for the prestigious Euro 2008 football tournament as First Minister Jack McConnell gave his blessing to a joint bid with the FAI, writes Mike Wilson

The Scots had lobbied hard for a stand-alone bid, which would have required up to four new or refurbished stadia, at a cost to the Scottish taxpayer of up to £80 million sterling, but McConnell, who was elected late last year to replace football fan and solo bid champion Henry McLeish, torpedoed tartan hopes of staging what is recognised as the third biggest event in world sport.

In a statement to the Scottish Parliament yesterday, McConnell said, "There are serious doubts about whether Scotland could guarantee four new stadiums to UEFA's specification and we have therefore ruled out the possibility of Scotland bidding alone."

The First Minister however backed a joint bid with Ireland, adding, "I spoke to the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern this morning, and we agreed that consultations about a joint bid should take place."

David Taylor, chief executive of the Scottish Football Association, responding to the First Minister's statement said, "I am convinced that a joint bid can be a winnable position, and I am convinced that together we can deliver a strong bid."

However, one bid insider, clearly disappointed at the decision not to go it alone said, "Clearly, we have lost our unique selling point, namely a solo bid and the decision is a disappointment. However, we will have to make the best of it, but a solo bid would have been stronger and better."

The man behind the highly successful Euro '96 in England, Glen Kirton agrees that the Scot's position has been weakened, saying, "I would have put a Scotland-only bid as short-priced favourites to secure Euro 2008, but a joint bid with Ireland removes Scotland's distinctiveness as a sole national bid, and the joint Scotland-Ireland bid is now just one of several joint bids. The odds have lengthened considerably in my opinion," said Kirton.

Political commentators in Scotland have attributed McConnell's cautious approach to a desire to distance himself from the pro-events agenda of his predecessor, which landed Scotland the 2014 Ryder Cup, and to concerns over major event and stadium funding following the Wembley, World Athletics Championships and Commonwealth games controversies which have embroiled the English Parliament.