ASTON VILLA goalkeeper Mark Bosnich was charged yesterday with misconduct by the English Football Association over his Nazi style salute to Tottenham supporters at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

Bosnich gestured to the home fans of a club known to have a wide Jewish following, after they had taunted him over his on the field clash with Jurgen Klinsmann at Villa Park in January 1995.

But although he insisted the salute was meant not to be taken seriously and has apologised for offending outraged Tottenham fans, the FA have taken a dim view of the incident - particularly as it could have provoked crowd trouble.

The police are also still investigating the matter as a possible public order offence and a report will be sent to the English Crown Prosecution Service when they have completed their enquiries.

An FA spokesman confirmed. "Mark Bosnich has been charged with misconduct, following a widely publicised incident during last Saturday's match with Tottenham. An FA disciplinary commission will consider the case in the near future.

The FA have also had several contacts with the police and we understand their investigations into an alleged public order offence will continue. When the investigation is completed, a report will be sent to the Criminal Prosecution Service."

Villa will be taking no action against Bosnich and manager Brian Little has assured Bosnich, whose appearance at Tottenham was his first of the season after a knee injury, that his first team place is safe.

Chairman Doug Ellis had hoped that the incident would be closed alter, Bosnich had apologised first on Radio Five Live's 606 programme and then in a 400 word open letter issued yesterday.

Manager Brian Little said: "Mark is an extrovert who likes a bit of attention but he knows, in this case that he did something that was taken the wrong way and is full of remorse. He is a nice guy who wouldn't intentionally hurt people".

Bosnich has clearly been taken aback by the, volume of criticism over his actions, and suggestions that he is a racist and his open letter yesterday concluded with the words. Anti Semitism and racism are crimes of humanity. Ignorance and jocularity are not.

He revealed: "When I was at school there were a lot of Greeks, Italians, Serbians and Croatians who went to live in Australia after the Second World War.

"We were all known as wogs. I was called that at school and it hurt. I also lost family in the Second World War and the war in former Yugoslavia.

also do not comprehend that people would believe that someone with a Jewish aunt would in any way go out to deliberately of fend people.

What I did wasn't meant to harm, it wasn't meant to confound. It wasn't mean to upset anyone. To anyone I've upset, I'm profoundly sorry and I can't be any more sorry myself."

Bosnich admitted: "Ever since the Klinsmann incident to have been cast a villain by Spurs fans. When an amusing reference was made to the incident on Saturday I mimicked the Basil Fawlty salute as a mere jocular acknowledgement of the crowd's banter.

I was astonished to be booked, let alone to raise the effect it later generated. Once again, I am very sorry if I offended anybody and no offence was intended, only comical mimicry.