GLF 53: Should Scotland go for Euro 2012?
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Having been in Portugal on holiday in the summer ( purely by coincidence )I suddenly began to realise if a country like this can host the tournament why can't we, and without the help of anyone.
The thought first came to me as we drove from the Airport at Faro and saw the stadium built in Faro for the games.I started to wonder what would happen to that stadium after the tournament as I wasn't aware of a " big "team from that area. As far as I can tell the team that plays down there is not better than most of our SPL teams.
Surely we could invest in flexible stadia in Edinbugh,Aberdeen and Dundeethat could host 30,000 plus for the tournament but after it be restored to 20,000 or so. Marry these with the four other stadia already in place atHampden,Ibrox,Parkhead and Murrayfield-it's not a major leap of faith is it ??
This is a country that is probably just as affluent as Scotland, it’s League is probably as good as Scotland's ( although the UEFA Cup may prove me a fool on this one ) with two teams dominating ( Porto and Benfica,and occasionally Sporting of Lisbon ).
The tournament meant that there was investment and planning put into improving areas of the country,new stadia,new roads etc etc.The rewards for the Portuguese, on the field their team reached the final and the whole country was lifted,until the final whistle went that is.
Off the field they have an improved environment but they also reaped an economic reward with the number of people who visited the country.Think of the knock - on effect for hotels, bars,restaurants and tourist attractions,even a town like Motherwell may benefit from the over - spill from Glasgow.
That is the instant benefit, a tournament like this brings publicity that money cannot buy with visitors coming and experiencing the country and hopefully a percentage will want to come back.Also the media coverage is effectively free advertising for your county and its tourist board.
We have the people in the country that can organise such a tournament,just as Portugal had for the football this summer and the Greeks for the Olympics,you won't convince me that Scots are not capable of managing and hosting a major event ?
Those in the media who think we should not be going for this type of event maybe have a hidden agenda-do you want to spend a summer in your own back yard, or would you rather travel on expenses to mainland Europe ?
Most importantly it may be that hosting the tournament may be the only way we ever qualify for the finals of a major tournament in the future, given the mess of things that the SFA and Herr Berti are making at the moment.
So let's think big and have a belief in our great little country and go for hosting Euro 2012,without Ireland,and show the rest of the world that we are a forward thinking, progressive nation that can stand on its own two feet.
Graham Barnstaple
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