SFA plays a wait-and-see game over Euro 2012 bid

Published on Monday 9 June 2008 10:33

THE Scottish Football Association will not hold a feasibility study into hosting Euro 2012 unless Ukraine and Poland lose the right to stage the finals.

Scottish sports minister Stewart Maxwell has backed the SFA's bid should the co-hosts fail to address concerns over stadia and infrastructure, but stressed government support would depend on a feasibility study.

SFA chief executive Gordon Smith, who has asked UEFA president Michel Platini to consider Scotland as an alternative host, will now await the outcome of the Frenchman's visit to eastern Europe early next month.

"The chronology of it now would be that Poland and Ukraine have to be rejected, that has to happen first," Smith said.

"Then they have to say it's open to new applications. We would then get a feasibility study done.

"If that worked out to be positive, we would hope our application would be viewed by UEFA.

"That's the basic four steps and there is nothing else. There are no background negotiations going on with UEFA, they have not been in touch with us.

"I just happened to have a discussion with Michel Platini and he told me that Ukraine and Poland were going to be audited again in the summer. Even at that we would do a feasibility study in terms of whether we are capable and what the cost would be of staging it, because we have a whole load of stadium reconstructions to do and that's only part of where the costs come in.

"We have only got three football stadiums in Scotland that comply with the UEFA regulations and they are all in Glasgow.

"The feasibility study has not been put in place because it costs money and there is no point if they were to turn round and say Ukraine and Poland are getting it."

Scotland would need to upgrade four stadia to meet the requirements, given Murrayfield would provide a fourth stadium.

Smith believes 2012 is Scotland's last chance to host the tournament on its own given plans to expand the tournament to 24 teams would probably require 12 venues.

"If the tournament does expand and we still want to apply we would have to co-host it," Smith said.

"The obvious options are Ireland and Wales.

"England would be a consideration but I don't think they would want to share with us. It's not even something we have considered yet."