Plaid Cymru Member of the European Parliament Ms Jill Evans and group colleague SNP MEP Mr Alyn Smith have thrown their weight behind the prospect of a joint Scottish and Welsh bid to host football's European Championships in 2016.
Speaking from Brussels, Alyn Smith said:
"We're used enough to the camaraderie that the Rugby generates and this is a great chance to showcase both our countries to the rest of Europe. Joint bids are the way of the future for UEFA and I like the fact that there is an actual need for co-operation. The Scots and the Welsh have already been working together for years and this is another extension of that.
"We know from our own experience in the European Parliament that working together gets results, and I think it is only right we stress that any Scottish-Welsh bid will have our full support."
Jill Evans added:
"This is a great chance for the Celts to shine, we know from our own experience that we can work together well and it is only right that two such passionate footballing nations work together to host the championships."
I hope they get it, they certainly couldn't do any worse than Poland and Ukraine are at the minute trying to sort out the 2012 Championships.
But if the championships do arrive in the UK, then, of course, it will be not only the Scottish and Welsh taxpayers who'll be coughing up for the inevitable extra capital expenditure and as far as I know, Mr Salmond hasn't stated that he believes it is the residents of Glasgow who have the sole responsibility for subsidising the Glasgow Commonwealth games in 2014.
A couple of facts which risk being conveniently forgotten in some quarters...
9 comments:
It's only fair to expect our English friends to help subsidise the tournament in return for the Scots and Welsh helping to subsidise the London Olympics.
In a roundabout way, you're making my point for me; it isn't the Scottish/Welsh/N.irish subsidising the Olympics, it's UK citizens paying for the Olympics to take place in a part of the UK.
Similarly it wouldn't be the English (or N.Irish) subsidising the 2014 Commonwealth games or Euro 2016.
I'm surprised a Unionist would complain about Britain hosting the Euro's.
I don't remember only England paying for 66 or 96.
A Union means we are united in more than just accountancy.
as far as I know, Mr Salmond hasn't stated that he believes it is the residents of Glasgow who have the sole responsibility for subsidising the Glasgow Commonwealth games in 2014.
It's 80% Scottish government and 20% Glasgow Council. None of it will be "UK Funding" like the Olympics get.
I'm surprised a Unionist would complain about Britain hosting the Euro's.
John,
I haven't worked out if you're trolling or not yet...if you're not, you should at least pay me the courtesy of reading what I've actually wrote...which was:
I hope they get it
HF,
You're not actually contradicting what I've said, the SNP have asked for further funding for Glasgow 2014, which in my opinion they should get.
>>Mr Salmond hasn't stated that he believes it is the residents of Glasgow who have the sole responsibility for subsidising the Glasgow Commonwealth games in 2014.<<
Relevance? Does it annoy you so that Scots are happy to carry the burden of hostinf these games without robbing our neighbours a la the London Olympics?
All that some people are quite rightly saying is that the Scottish share of the national lottery could help us fund the games. A drop in the ocean compared to what we are having to pay to fund the Olympics in a foreign city like London.
O'Neill - you're trying to link the 2012 funding to the 2014 funding, saying Scots shouldn't complain about 2012 because they've got 2014 (or at least that's how I read it).
The Scots have paid for 2014 themselves, we've all had to pay over £9bn for London's Olympics. As for the Scot request for lottery funding, my understanding is that this is a request for specific projects for the legace of the Games, not the games itself. There's no request for lottery money for the actual hosting of them game. The request is for sporting facilities. For London however the lottery is providing £2.2bn for the actual games itself.
The London games could not proceed without the lottery money or the UK money. The Scottish games is fully paid from Scotland, the request for lottery money is to try and increase the effect of the games on the population for the future (i.e. get more people active)
HF
you're trying to link the 2012 funding to the 2014 funding, saying Scots shouldn't complain about 2012 because they've got 2014 (or at least that's how I read it).
As you acknowledge in your last paragraph it is the SNP which is attempting that link; Salmond is asking for the 150 million of Scottish lottery money "diverted" to London should be given to the Glasgow games. The argument, as I understand it, made by the Lottery/Uk government is that, for whatever reason, that money wasn't included in the original bid.
I've no problem whatsoever with them getting that money, but it's weird that the "demand" has been included almost as an after-thought.
It does seem to be an afterthought yes, but as I said in the last post they are not asking for the money for the Games itself. The actual games is fully funded (and from within Scotland).
Correct me if I'm wrong butmy understanding is that they have asked for the money to be diverted to sporting faciities for the general population - not for the games itself.
You have to give the Scots credit for funding their whole games themselves as opposed to London 2012 which sees every part of the UK having to contribute.
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