FA boss victim of hate mail

Adam Crozier has passed some letters on to police

The chief executive of the Football Association, Adam Crozier, says he has received a growing pile of hate mail since the appointment of Sven Goran Eriksson as England coach.

Members of far right groups are believed to be responsible for Crozier receiving threatening letters and e-mails - which have since been handed on to the police.

For each one criticising the FA decision on Sven, there was one saying we had made the right choice

  Adam Crozier

The perpetrators are understood to be incensed at both a non-Englishman landing the top job in the game and a Scotsman heading the selection committee.

"Some of them were quite nasty but you just have to ignore it," Crozier said. "There's not a lot I can do about being Scottish though it has only really become a talking-point since Sven was appointed.

"The really daft ones I passed on to police in case there was anything in it.

"Yet for each one criticising the FA decision on Sven, there was one saying we had made the right choice."

Back England

Now that the Swede Eriksson had been given a five-year contract, said Crozier, the country should get behind the new manager and support England in their attempt to reach the 2002 World Cup finals.

"We have to have the courage of our convictions. We have to stick with it and get it right," he said.

"There is no way either Sven or I are going to walk out if England fail to qualify for World Cup 2002.

Eriksson and Crozier: Facing "an enormous job"

"I can understand people saying `we want an Englishman' because long term the FA do as well.

"That is why we have set Team England in place with Peter Taylor and Steve McClaren helping Sven.

"We have talked a lot about what is required to do the job, about how there are young players coming through and how it will take time."

Crozier admitted that the coverage since Eriksson's appointment had surprised him and the Swede.

"It has taken over our lives for the last three months. Only now do we realise what an enormous job this is.

"He knew it was huge but nothing prepares you for this."