‘Secret’ plan to host 2026 Commonwealth Games in Scotland ‘revealed’
SCOTLAND could be hosting a major sports event BEFORE the 2028 Euros, it has been claimed.
Some 12 years since Glasgow hosted the Commonwealth Games the event could be making a return north of the border after secret proposal papers were uncovered.
Victoria, in Australia, was due to be the host venue in three years time and took on the baton after last year’s Games in Birmingham.
But the plans Down Under have been withdrawn after costs more than doubled to £3.1bn – leaving the event in doubt.
If the next staging of the Games doesn’t go ahead many fear for its future.
When news broke in July Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf suggested an emergency return to these shores – and now that could come to fruition with a four-way solution.
The UK could step in an host across Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales, the Herald claims.
It says a “highly confidential” document produced by UK Sport has outlined a “potential revised hosting model“.
Crunch talks to save the next stage were held in AUust and outlined areas to be investigated in order to potentially solve the crisis.
But the papers did state that the discussion “does not infer that any offer would be made or that any funding has been made available to do so.”
“It would still be for all partners to explore in a robust way whether it is in the interests of the UK, both societally and aligned to wider hosting aspirations, whether this would be worth pursuing.
“The broad conditions where that course of action might be considered feasible and/or desirable are outlined here, but not explored in full.”
Other Freedom of Information papers show officials urging caution over the tentative steps being taken.
One email reads: ““There are significant financial implications here against the backdrop of extremely stretched budgets.”
Adding a “very short timeframe in which to deliver the event… will increase costs. “
More emails explained: “The inflationary pressures on many aspects of major event delivery remain strong so a significant degree of contingency and optimism bias would need to be built into any business case.”
Scotland is already slated to host football’s 2028 Euros at Hampden having been part of the successful bid with Northern Ireland England and Wales, confirmed by Uefa earlier this month.
The Games were last north of the border in 2014 at Glasgow, while Edinburgh was host city in 1970 and 1986.
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