FA seek talks with Turkey after clashes

Trouble flares before Uefa Cup final in Denmark

The Football Association will seek an urgent meeting with its Turkish counterparts in a bid to prevent further trouble erupting between English and Turkish fans during Euro 2000.

The concerns were raised after violence between Arsenal and Galatasaray fans in Copenhagen before the Uefa Cup final.

FA executive director David Davies said: "We have spoken again to our friends at the Turkish FA and we will be bringing forward our planned meeting with them.

"They need to understand, much more clearly, our concerns ahead of the next time English and Turkish teams travel to each others countries.

"Equally we will play a full part in restoring the relationship between our two footballing nations.

"We the FA will play our full part of course in any Uefa investigation," vowed Davies.

We at the FA will play our full part of course in any Uefa investigation

David Davies

"As Euro 2000 draws ever nearer, we will be discussing with our security advisors, whether there is still anything more we can do, even now, to ensure the safety and security of all fans travelling to Belgium and Holland.

"We will be reporting on the events to the Government and we hope that they too will ask if there is anything more they can and should do."

Turning his attention to England's World Cup 2006 bid, Davies said: "Something like this is unhelpful but the fact of the matter is that we are bidding to stage the World Cup in England, our own country, where we staged Euro 96 very successfully, by common consent, just four years ago.

FA chief David Davies concerned about Euro2000

"We apologise to the Danes for what happened in Copenhagen but the decision on 2006 will be about which country has the best bid, the best facilities, the best infrastructure, the best grounds.

"Safety and security issues are not those most closely associated with our bid, as oppose to those of some of our rivals. Our bid is about staging the World Cup in our country, not somebody else's, and repeating the success of Euro 96."