Scotland ‘would blame Irish for failed Euro bid’

2008 papers reveal games row

THE Scottish government was prepared to “blame” Ireland for failure at the start of the doomed bid to jointly host the European football championship in 2008.

New records from cabinet meetings in 2002 shed light on the overly optimistic plan to stage the international competition.

Private notes, released today under the 15-year rule for government files, reveal how politicians were prepared to put aside concerns about the economic case and press ahead without having firm commitment on venues.

But early promise quickly turned to frustration with the Irish government, who were becoming mired in domestic election problems.

And Scotland’s Labour-libdem coalition decided to take the opportunity to cover their backs if the bid collapsed.

In one report, Scottish sport minister Mike Watson suggested: “If cabinet decides not to proceed with this bid, this would be an unpopular decision with the media.

“Our key presentational points then might include: The Republic of Ireland was unable to meet their end of the bargain.”

The excuses were agreed collectively by Mcconnell’s top team before the bid was made. The bid for the contest eventually lost out to another joint effort from Austria and Switzerland.

The scheme was revealed in thousands of official papers opened by the Scottish Government for public scrutiny each year.

When the attempt to stage the tournament failed, Watson told colleagues the Scots-irish plan was “as good as the winning bid”.

Watson went on to be jailed for setting fire to a hotel curtain while drunk.