Goor impresses Sunderland

Bart Goor, scorer of Belgium's opener on Saturday night is believed to be joining Sunderland this summer. Peter Reid attended Belgium's last warm-up game against Denmark in Copenhagen nine days ago ostensibly to watch Joos Valgaeren, the central defender.

However, Reid liked the look of Goor. Sunderland made an inquiry to Anderlecht, Goor's club, and the Anderlecht manager Michel Verschueren said on Saturday: "We expect an offer from Sunderland for Goor within the next few days."

Several supporters of Denmark at Euro 2000 found themselves broke when the Belgian banknotes they received in banks at home proved to be old money taken out of circulation.

At least half a dozen Danish fans in Bruges for Denmark's first Group D match against France yesterday were taken by surprise when local shops and restaurants refused to accept their Belgian franc banknotes, the daily Jyllands-Posten reported on its Internet website.

Britain warned unemployed soccer fans yesterday they would lose their benefits if they were arrested at the Euro 2000 tournament.

"If people are convicted during the competition, then they are liable to lose their benefits," Social Security Secretary Alistair Darling told Sky Television.

Darling said the moves were part of a crackdown on welfare cheats. "What we are concerned about is not those fans who watch football matches and behave themselves, but those who get into trouble," he said.

"If you manage to get over there to see the Euro 2000 matches, we will find out about it. If you are languishing in the cells of the gendarmerie, you are not available for work," Dutch police are braced for possible trouble when England play Portugal in Eindhoven today.

England manager Kevin Keegan said he had been impressed by the first games of the tournament and repeated his impression that it would be a tournament of goals.

"We both have goals in us," he said of today's match. "Both sides have players who can create and others with proven scoring records. I don't see it as a cagey game, I think it will be open, and hopefully entertaining."

Keegan said everybody in the camp was raring to go and had been lifted by the presence of Geoff Hurst, England's hat-trick hero of the 1966 World Cup final.

"I think we could make a lot more use of players who have done great things for English football, said Keegan, himself one the country's soccer legends.

"I asked him to come out for the whole tournament and although he's very busy with the 2006 bid he's spending a few days with us. It's great having him around.

"We can take confidence from people like that, contributing to the atmosphere."