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Breathnach
Fresh ideas |
    
From today's Irish Independent (March 14th)
Keane and Fergie set to spearhead Euro bid
ROY KEANE and Alex Ferguson are being lined up to spearhead the joint Euro 2008 bid by Ireland and Scotland.
The Manchester United duo will be approached in the coming days to give their backing for the campaign. Other big names in the world of football and entertainment from both countries are also being asked to lend their public support for the bid.
The Euro 2008 Steering Committee, which is co-ordinating the bid on behalf of the Irish and Scottish Government, the Scottish FA and the FAI, believe that having Ferguson and Keane leading the bid will give it a vital edge over the six other contenders.
"We hope to approach them in the coming days and hopefully we will have an answer before next Thursday's meeting of the Steering Committee in Glasgow," said one committee member last night.
The Euro 2008 project team are also keeping their fingers crossed that Manchester United qualify for the Champions League Final which will be held in Glasgow.
The game is being seen as a major opportunity to sell the so-called Celtic bid to the 14 members of UEFA's Executive Committee, whose votes will decide the destination of the championships next December.
A major publicity campaign is being planned for the week of the final which will promote the Irish - Scottish bid to a pan-European audience.
The Steering Committee believe they are running a very close second behind the Austria - Switzerland bid at present.
"The Austrians and Swiss believe they are going to win and the Scotland - Ireland bid will be second," said Simon Lyons, marketing director of the Euro 2008 bid.
"However, we believe it's very tight now and we have to remember that there are nine months until the decision is taken. A lot can happen between now and then.
"In the last seven World Cup bids, five of the favourites have lost when it came to the final vote," added Lyons.
The Steering Committee are presently preparing for next month's UEFA Congress in Stockholm when each of the seven bidders will give a short presentation to the delegates from UEFA's 51 members associations.
FAI honorary secretary Des Casey, who steps down as vice-president of UEFA next month, has been added to the Steering Committee where he joins FAI President Milo Corcoran and General Secretary Brendan Menton.
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Total Posts: 21 | Joined Jan. 2002 | Posted on: 2:44 am on Mar. 14, 2002 | IP
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the boykerr
Opinionated Wind Bag |
on the face of it - i think that they are probably the most well known faces from the respective countries and i certainly think they will do the bid a lot of god, however - when was the last time either of these men actually stayed in scotland? should we not get somebody who stays and views scottish and irish fitba? if we get 2008 - it won't be in manchester!
the boykerr
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Scottish NOT British
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Total Posts: 244 | Joined Dec. 2001 | Posted on: 1:32 pm on Mar. 14, 2002 | IP
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Keane and Fergie set to spearhead Euro bid
