The English Football Association was yesterday charged over the behaviour of its fans during England's match against Slovakia earlier this month in Bratislava which was marred by crowd trouble and incidents of racism.
If found guilty, the FA could be fined by UEFA's disciplinary panel which will meet next month to investigate the charge against the FA. The Slovakian FA have also been charged over the racist abuse of England's black players by their supporters.
The FA said last night it is to contest the charge and it is likely to argue that their fans were provoked because of the racist chanting aimed at England's black players. However, there was also violence on the eve of the match in the centre of Bratislava and in Vienna as England fans made their way to the city for the European Championship qualifying match.
The FA's international committee also met and discussed the possible establishment of a Professional Game Board, which would be responsible for running the professional game in England. The row between FA chief executive Adam Crozier and chairman Geoff Thompson was also privately discussed by international committee members.
One of the main points of contention between them is Crozier's alleged autocratic style of management which has led to some within the organisation to privately call for his resignation unless he changes the way he makes decisions.
