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MOB RULE

From the archive, first published Monday 19th Jun 2000.

FA chief executive Adam Crozier flew to Belgium today to seek urgent talks with UEFA and keep England in Euro 2000.

UEFA had threatened England with expulsion after an emergency meeting yesterday when they labelled England fans "a disgrace" and "a blight on the national team."

The statement read: "We cannot allow more people to spoil international tournaments for genuine fans. UEFA will have to determine whether the presence of the English national team in the tournament may be maintained should there be a repeat."

More than 800 fans were detained and most deported with the rest remaining locked up to face charges of disorder following running battles in the streets.

The FA are taking UEFA's threat extremely seriously - even though they think it is unfair.

Spokesman David Davies said: "The issue of how far a football association is responsible for so-called fans well away from any stadium - something UEFA has always rejected in the past - is a matter we will seek to discuss with Gerd Aigner.

"We condemn utterly and without reservation the thugs and criminals - we called for emergency legislation to remove passports from potential troublemakers but are bound to point out that all the evidence available suggests that the vast majority of those involved were not previously known to the authorities.

"The FA has worked tirelessly to prepare for this tournament. We have made all our resources available to our opposite numbers in Belgium and in Holland

But Alain Courtois, director of Euro 2000, blamed a "very lax" Britain for allowing 14 "extremely dangerous hooligans" to leave for Belgium and Holland "without being intercepted."

Prime Minister Tony Blair was scheduled to make a national apology for the behaviour of thugs and Home Secretary Jack Straw was also due to make a statement to the House of Commons amid claims the government had not done enough.

But some in the England camp feel UEFA's hard line has another agenda - to discredit England's 2006 World Cup bid. Germany and South Africa are the main bid rivals, with the decision to be announced next month.

What is clear is that a momentous first England competitive win over the Germans in 34 years has been marred.

Tonight will be the first major test of the hooligans with a potential flashpoint looming in Brussels.

There have already been running battles between England fans and local Turks in both Brussels and Charleroi following the murder of two Leeds fans before a UEFA Cup clash in Istanbul.

And there are fears of further violence tonight when Turkey play Belgium in Brussels, where England fans are staying.

Euro 2000 round-up & verdicts - pages 41-43 of tonight's Daily Echo.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.

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