TV people will hold England to their word

Group Six NewsThe England Football Association has been warned they will be in breach of their £300 million television rights contract if there is a repeat of Wednesday night's silent treatment by England players after their next World Cup qualifier, against Wales at Old Trafford.

The FA yesterday stood by the team's decision to refuse to speak to the media after the win in Poland, but said it was a one-off protest and would not be repeated next month.

Industry insiders have confirmed that a clause in the FA's four-year deal with the BBC and Sky, which gives the corporation exclusive live rights to competitive home internationals, required the players to speak to the broadcaster after the Old Trafford game.

But there is no such agreement in place for away matches such as the one in Chorzow, the TV rights for which are sold on an ad hoc basis by the home nation and the majority of which have been snapped up by Sky.

The move, widely criticised in the press, was also condemned yesterday by the BBC, who said they were "disappointed" they were unable to speak to players after their radio commentary on Five Live.

"The reason we broadcast these interviews is for the fans. It is a shame they couldn't hear what the players thought of the game," said a BBC spokeswoman.

But the silent protest, also endorsed by England's manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, was yesterday backed by the Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor, who said the players were right to react over "vindictive and personal criticism".

Sky refused to comment but ran an item on their news channel for much of yesterday criticising the players' stance and concluding that the blackout would remain "presumably until one or another of the squad has a book to plug".

But Eriksson said: "Was the players' reaction childish? Childish? Absolutely the opposite. They came to me and had the belief that the criticism had not been 100 per cent fair during the last few days. They want to defend every single player in the squad. If they want to take that decision, they are right to do it."

Not that it has hardly been sweetness and light for the other teams in England's group, Wales and Northern Ireland. In the wake of Wednesday night's dramatic scenes at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff two of the three players dismissed, Robbie Savage of Wales and David Healy of Northern Ireland, continued to protest their innocence yesterday and Savage also issued a threat that would have a major impact on Wales's World Cup qualifying campaign.

Savage, one of Wales's most established players, who was winning his 38th cap on Wednesday, has said he was thinking of retiring from international football following of his ninth-minute dismissal by Italian referee Domenico Messina.

Savage's distress at the perceived injustice of the red card he received along with Michael Hughes was exacerbated by the knowledge he misses Wales' next game, against England at Old Trafford. Savage began his career at Manchester United.

Wales will have Ryan Giggs available after suspension and Simon Davies should be fit for the England game on October 9th, so the absence of Savage will not be felt as greatly as it was against Northern Ireland. If Savage does not retire, he would be available for the Poland home game four days later.

But manager Mark Hughes, assuming he is still in that post with Blackburn lurking, will need a significant improvement from his players if Wales are even to get a point in Manchester.

With Northern Ireland Lawrie Sanchez has the same problem. That is why the Irish Football Association will be keen to try to get Healy's red card overturned. If so, Healy would be available for the trip to Azerbaijan next month. Avoiding defeat there would aid Irish aims of not finishing bottom of the group.

Healy is his country's record goalscorer with 15 and said of his red card for an allegedly abusive gesture: "I respect the people of Wales. Some of my family are Welsh. I have never made any sort of obscene gesture in my life.