FA demands urgent Uefa meeting

Deported 'fans' have been condemned by the FA

The Football Association has criticised both the UK government and Uefa following threats to kick England out of Euro 2000 if its fans are involved in any more violence.

The FA's chief executive, David Davies, said the government had failed to respond to the association's calls for emergency legislation to remove passports from potential trouble-makers before the start of the tournament.

He was also unhappy that Uefa had failed to discuss the threat of England's expulsion from the tournament with any senior FA officials and called for an urgent meeting on Monday.

Mr Davies, who revealed that the England team was "surprised" by the development said: "Our security adviser, Sir Brian Hayes, was invited to make a very brief statement late in the proceedings but had no other input to the discussion," he said.

David Davies wants England to be part of a safe and secure festival

"He was asked no questions and was asked to leave before a media statement was issued just minutes later.

"The issue of how far a football association is responsible for so called fans well away from any stadium... is a matter that we will discuss at the urgent meeting we will be requesting with Gerhard Aigner, the chief executive of Uefa, on Monday."

Mr Davies said the FA utterly condemned the action of thugs and criminals involved in the violence in Brussels and Charleroi at the weekend.

"We are bound to point out though that the vast majority of those causing trouble in Belgium this weekend were not previously known to the authorities," he said.

The FA says it has worked tirelessly to prevent trouble

He said that England coach Kevin Keegan and his players, who are preparing for Tuesday's final group game against Romania in Charleroi, had been "surprised" by the development even though they condemned the "thugs and criminals" responsible.

Speaking on Keegan's behalf, Davies declared: "Kevin appealed before we came here to Belgium for all supporters to recognise their responsibilities.

"His job is to prepare the national team for what is an absolutely crucial game for our country.

"But we would repeat his appeal on behalf on Kevin, on behalf on every player that is here in Spa, in particularly on behalf of English football.

"More than anything else, we want to be part of a safe and secure festival of football, similar to Euro 96 in England," said Mr Davies.

He said the FA had worked tirelessly to prepare for Euro 2000, providing resources to the Dutch and Belgian authorities and restricting ticket sales to members of the England Members' Club.

"Kevin Keegan, our coach, has appealed, before we came here to Belgium, for all supporters to recognise their responsibilities," he said.

"But we repeat that appeal on behalf of Kevin, on behalf of every single player who is in Spa, and particularly on behalf of English football."