Smith unveils home nations plans

Scottish Football Association chief executive Gordon Smith has revealed the format the planned biannual Four Nations tournament could take.

The SFA announced on Friday a competition involving Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland could start in 2011, following talks involving each national association.

Smith told BBC Radio Scotland: "We're looking at having a tournament where we all play each other, so it's three games, and we're looking at having one game in February and two in May to tie up the tournament and have a winner established."

Each championship will have a host team, which will change on a rotational basis, and all matches will take place in their country.

Fixtures already in place for the next two-and-a-half years prevented the tournament being added to the international schedule with immediate effect, or from next year.

With the 2010 World Cup qualifiers already fixed in place on the calendar, there was little prospect of the tournament beginning until after the tournament in South Africa for practical reasons.

Although 2011 has not been inked in as a definite starting point for the Four Nations, it is highly likely to begin then.

England declined the chance to take part, with Smith receiving indications from the FA they are seeking a higher class of opponent for non-World Cup and European Championship matches.

"England have been approached," Smith added. "England have made it clear they don't want to be part of this kind of tournament now.

"They maybe see themselves as being a bigger nation and going for bigger friendlies, more high-profile friendlies. We would have liked England to be involved."