FOLLOWING on from the success of the FA Cup final at the Millennium Stadium, the Football Association of Wales has revealed a bid to host either the Champions' League or UEFA Cup final in 2004.

The Welsh FA last night confirmed the duel bid and had even hoped to bring a European cup final to Cardiff sooner, but have been blocked by the news that Hampden Park, Scotland, will host the Champions' League final in 2003.

UEFA are unlikely to send two Euro finals to Britain in the same year, but in light of the huge success of Saturday's FA Cup final at the Millennium Stadium, officials from both the Welsh Rugby Union and the FAW are desperate to capitalise on the success and bring a money-spinning major final to Cardiff.

WRU official Glanmor Griffiths yesterday confirmed the Charity Shield match will be coming to the Millennium Stadium in August and made it clear he wants to further boost Cardiff's image by bringing a major final to the capital.

Lessons from previous finals seemed to have been learned to help the staging of Saturday's match pass without many problems and the police announced that out of eighty arrests in Cardiff on Saturday, only 20 were football related.

And following traffic problems before February's Worthington Cup final in Cardiff, when long delays caused by fans arriving late in the capital forced officials to delay kick-off, the police advice to fans to come to Cardiff as early as possible, paid off.

Traffic in and around Cardiff on Saturday was heavy, but flowing and Griffiths revealed the FA had congratulated the WRU on making the day a success.

Griffiths said: "Everyone is aware that the FA Cup final here last Saturday was heralded as an outstanding success by the teams, by the supporters, by the media and by the Football Association.

"The showcase that the Millennium Stadium offered to Cardiff and Wales through the staging of the final was massive.

"I don't think there is any stadium in the UK, Europe or even the world that can generate the atmosphere that we can get here."