Football: Redknapp is angry with Uefa ruling

THE West Ham United manager, Harry Redknapp, has hit out at Uefa's decision to virtually guarantee a place in their cup competition next season to Newcastle - and so deny entry for the team who finish fifth in the Premiership.

Ruud Gullit's Magpies have been almost guaranteed a place in Europe next season by European soccer's governing body even if they lose their FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham next weekend. This follows confirmation that one of England's three Uefa Cup qualifiers must come from the FA Cup - and means that the side finishing fifth in the Premiership are likely to miss out.

Spurs have already qualified for Europe by winning the Worthington Cup, and the other two teams left in the FA Cup - Arsenal and Manchester United - are almost certain of a place in the Champions' League.

So Arsenal or United would have to finish outside the top three in the Premiership for Newcastle's place in Europe to be taken away from them. The only other way that Newcastle would lose out is if one of those clubs failed to finish in the top three but went further in the cup than Gullit's side.

Either way West Ham, who are currently occupying fifth place in the Premiership, fear they are in danger of losing out because of the ruling and Redknapp said it was a strange and disappointing decision.

"Whoever it affects, it is the wrong way to decide it," he said. "How can they give it to a team who might get knocked out in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. It doesn't make sense to me, but then half the decisions made by people who dictate what goes on in football don't make sense to me, so this is nothing new.

"It takes away the incentive for the clubs chasing that Uefa Cup place via the League. Surely it is a much greater achievement to finish fifth in the Premiership than it is to finish fourth in the FA Cup."

The Premier League also condemned Uefa's decision as a "mistake" and vowed to make representations to ensure that the same situation does not occur again next season. Premiership clubs, who were opposed to the current rules at their last meeting, believe that a team should only qualify for Europe if they win the FA Cup, although they can see the argument in favour of the losing finalists. However, under current regulations, if all four FA Cup semi-finalists had already qualified for Europe, Uefa would have been left with the even more ridiculous scenario of having to organise a play-off among the losing quarter-finalists.

Mike Lee, the Premier League's spokesman, said: "We have made extensive representations on this matter. We do not agree with Uefa's position and we believe that the place should revert to the fifth-placed Premiership side instead of the losing FA Cup semi-finalists."

Britain's efforts to stamp out hooliganism took a step forward yesterday with the publication of proposals to stop convicted hooligans from travelling abroad. The proposals, outlined in a key parliamentary report on football- related legislation, also advocate a clampdown on racist chanting.

"Millions of people each season enjoy going to football matches to watch our national sport," the Home Office minister Kate Hoey said. "Yet this enjoyment can be ruined by the destructive and selfish actions of a very small, but disproportionately high-profile, minority."

Of the 29 proposals put forward, only two - an alcohol ban and a new offence of likelihood to commit a breach of an order - have been dropped through lack of support. Plans to prevent people convicted of football- related offences from attending matches were welcomed.

Southampton's hopes of Premiership survival were damaged yesterday when they learned that their Moroccan import Hassan Kachloul will be away on international duty for the game at Aston Villa on 10 April. Kachloul has been named in Morocco's squad for their African Nations Cup clash against Togo 24 hours later.