SCOTLAND'S troubled World Cup tie with Estonia finally found a home yesterday, when FIFA's organising committee ordered that it be played in Monaco on February 11th. The Louis II Stadium in Monte Carlo, with an all seated capacity of 18,500, is unlikely to be teeming with `home' supporters.
The Tartan Army will not be overjoyed, either, at the Scottish FA's successful attempt to avoid having to play the Baltic republic in the latter's preferred location of Cyprus. The Mediterranean island would have been much less costly than the playground of the rich on the Cote d'Azur.
The Estonian FA, ordered by the world body to replay the original `phantom' match of October 9th - the one which was abandoned after three seconds at the Kadriorg Stadium in Tallinn because the home team had failed to appear - had suggested Cyprus as a venue because of the prohibitive weather conditions in their own capital between now and the March 16th deadline.
Jim Farry, the SFA's chief executive, took the curious course of arguing that it would be too far away for Scots supporters, adding that somewhere in southern Europe would be more suitable. Now FIFA have intervened to make the decision for the Estonians and it is one which will be expensive for them. Ainar Leppanen, general secretary of the Estonian FA, confirmed this yesterday.
"This decision is final," said Leppanen, "but we would have been much happier with Cyprus. Monaco will be much more expensive for us. FIFA said they would meet the costs of the replay, but only for the Scottish FA, because they had already travelled to Tallinn."
The Estonians may be compensated by the greater television interest caused by the unusual circumstances of the tie. A match which was not a great seller before will probably be worth more now.
Farry said that the SFA were content with the decision: "We have intimated since October 8th that we would abide by FIFA's decision. Now it's February 11th in Monaco - and we'll get on with it."
For one Scottish player, it will now be a home match. Midfielder John Collins left Celtic last summer for AS Monaco.
