SFA consider Euro 2016 bid

The Scottish Football Association are considering whether to bid for the right to host the European Championships in 2016.

The SFA failed, in a joint bid with the Football Association of Ireland, to convince UEFA they were the right choice to stage Euro 2008. That honour went to Austria and Switzerland, but SFA chief executive David Taylor says there is "a possibility" of trying again.

After the Euro 2008 bid failed, Taylor stressed that the SFA's funds would be better used to improve the standards in youth football and admitted the effort had been "time-consuming and costly".

However, Taylor told BBC Sport today that interest had been renewed in putting on a European Championship. "It's a possibility we will bid," Taylor said. "But a bid involving all three Celtic nations is too impractical. We would never be put off in terms of bidding ambitiously for Scotland."

Should they go ahead with the plan, the SFA would appear to have strong political support. Sports minister Patricia Ferguson said: "We are very keen for major sports events to come to Scotland and it's certainly something we would like to discuss with the SFA."