EURO 2008/Bids: Delegates from UEFA yesterday heard a presentation from the Ireland/Scotland Euro 2008 bid team in Geneva.

The Celtic pitch has gained momentum in recent months to such an extent that their feasibility plan and resources have come to be regarded as the most appealing for a tournament that none of the major continental nations are pushing for.

All of the bidding countries gave an audio and visual profile of their strengths yesterday afternoon. UEFA delegates will carry out tours of each bidding country in September before rewarding the tournament in December.

"Our presentation was very well received, it was solid and we emphasised the commercial benefits, our ability to deliver on major events and the virtues of the home fans from both Ireland and Scotland," said bid director, Simon Lyons.

The domestic bid team regarded the process, which was open to the media, as an opportunity to examine the strengths of the other contenders. "The Scandinavian bid was quite personalised and welcoming but we didn't really learn anything about them that wasn't already known. But many of the bids seemed to concentrate on what winning the tournament would do for their country rather than what they might do for the tournament," said Lyons.

A major drawback to the Scandinavian bid is that it is spread over three countries and would mean automatic qualification for the hosts, thereby weakening the pool in the earlier rounds. With Ireland and Scotland in a position to offer 1.7 million stadia seats, more than any other of the potential hosts, the credibility of their blueprint has risen dramatically from early in the New Year, when it seemed badly compromised by the unavailability of Croke Park.

"We always felt we had an excellent blend of facilities and the intangible asset of wonderful fans. Glasgow recently held one of the best Champions League finals ever, demonstrating our ability to hold major events. The wonderful behaviour of our fans in Japan and Korea has been very timely also," added Lyons.

The appeal of Ireland's supporters and Scotland's equally praised Tartan Army was central to the brief speech delivered by David Taylor, chief executive of the Scottish FA. "The people of Scotland and Ireland have an unrivalled desire for these championships. Our nations, on the edge of Europe, ask this of UEFA - give us the opportunity to climb onto the world stage to prove the greatest football fans in the world can be the greatest hosts in 2008," explained Taylor.

If UEFA are sold on the Scottish/Irish cause, the ifs and buts surrounding stadium Ireland will all but disappear. Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's return to office last month put the controversial proposal firmly back on the agenda but the hooking of a major international sporting tournament would only serve to hasten the plans for Abbotstown.

"Well, we are greatly encouraged by the fact that the governments of both countries are firmly behind this bid and we are confident that Ireland will deliver on a national stadium," said Lyons.