LONDON, Reuter: The ban on English soccer clubs playing in Europe could remain in force next season because the British government is not ready to reassure the European Football Union (UEFA) that they are winning the battle against hooliganism.
British sports minister Colin Moynihan and UEFA President Jacques Georges are due to meet at Wimble after the Football Association (F.A.) cup final on May 14.
But a government spokesman said on Thursday that Moynihan would not present a full report to UEFA on the success of anti-hooligan measures in England until after the European championships in West Germany in June.
‘The spokesman said: “He will put forward all the information he has — and that includes some good progress and also some not so good”.
Moynihan is thought likely to tell Georges of the problems still confronting the government when the pair meet.
He said on Wednesday that “Great progress has been made” in the war against domestic hooliganism but also conceded that the government was still not satisfied that all necessary preventative steps had been taken.
“Many clubs have made determined efforts but some have been very slow”, he said.
Georges has insisted that the government must accept responsibility for clubs playing abroad. “If not, it is very likely that the countries in which the teams want to play will not accept it either”.
UEFA’s decision on whether to lift the ban is expected at the end of the European championships,
Article extracted from this publication >> May 13, 1988
