Celtic tigers will roar but will they be heard?

Chief Sports Writer

Wednesday 16 May 2012

T HE awarding of a major tournament is a political football and the whistle blew last night to start what will be 18 months of intricate manoeuvring over where the 2020 European Championship will be staged.

The final of Euro 2008 was held in Vienna but the Austrians were warned that Scotland were on standby to host the tournament.

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Hugh MacDonald

Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland have kicked off without any degree of conviction. This is, after all, only the stage for a declaration of interest. However, with Turkey and Georgia the only other contenders at the moment there is a chance that the Celtic tigers may roar in victory. Certainty must be avoided, though.

UEFA welcomed the intervention of the Scots and friends at this stage because it meant Turkey was not an unopposed bidder and the powers in Istanbul could not therefore demand a quick decision in their favour. The European governing body is very reluctant to give the tournament to the Turks and certainly opposed to give the nod as early as now.The Celtic bid thus allows the process to run its course, giving UEFA more time to woo other bidders. The case against Turkey will be based publicly on the foundation that Istanbul is also bidding for the Olympics in the same year. However, concerns stretch far beyond this eventuality. The security situation in Turkey is seen as a problem. This not only reflects concerns about terrorist outrages but also covers the volatile behaviour of fans.Georgia's entry into the process late last night will not gladden the heart of UEFA, either. The authority has been vexed over the past few years at the progress in the development of Poland and Ukraine as this year's hosts. Officials have been pushing both countries hard for some time to reach targets. Georgia will insist their bid should be judged on its merits but UEFA are not keen to embark on another battle on the Eastern front.The presence of the SFA in the mix is a comfort to Europe's governing body. Scotland is seen as a safe haven by UEFA, a body that includes David Taylor, a former chief executive of the SFA, among its high-ranking officials.Scotland, too, has been used in the past as a prod to tournament organisers and Hampden as a host to two finals – the Champions League in 2002 and the UEFA Cup in 2007 – both judged to be major successes.In May 2008, Christophe Bosshardt, head of project organisation in Basle for the Euro championships of 2008 in Switzerland and Austria, told Herald Sport he was warned that Scotland was on standby if he and other organisers could not finalise plans for that tournament. He also claimed that Poland and Ukraine were issued with a similar threat. The Celtic countries can now be seen to be helping UEFA again. But how strong are their chances of landing the tournament? The mood at the SFA is difficult to gauge but the body may be merely seeing how the process plays out. The opposition of Georgia and Turkey is not the strongest but the SFA's appetite for staging the finals may be limited by the bruising experience of the failed bid for the 2008 tournament. The failure of that attempt was marked by recriminations and much soul-searching. The possibility exists that Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland may win the prize, but there is the opportunity now for a bigger nation to step in and steal it. Finals day at Hampden 2020 is a long way off in the real world. A late winner for a country on the European mainland is more than a possibility.

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Celtic tigers will roar but will they be heard?

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