Bernstein explains cancellation

Football Association chairman David Bernstein admits not being able to guarantee the safety of players after three days of rioting in London was a factor in England's friendly against Holland at Wembley on Wednesday night being called off.

The decision was taken after consultations between the FA, the Metropolitan Police, the Government and Brent Council following the violence in the capital during the past three days.

Bernstein said: "Due to the sporadic and widespread nature of the unrest, there are significant concerns in relation to the available emergency service resources to safely police this fixture. The authorities have advised us that, under the terms of our Safety Certificate, we are unable to host the fixture or guarantee the safety of visiting supporters or the teams."

He added: "It was the question of resources, both of the police and the other emergency services.

"It was the question of transportation, certain concerns about protection of players from both sides, their travelling in coaches and so on, so there were a lot of issues.

"For these reasons, the game cannot go ahead. The FA wishes to make it clear it is in complete agreement with the advice of the Metropolitan Police, the Government and Brent Council.

Bernstein continued: "I am incredibly sad. There are thousands of fans who would have been at the match, millions would have watched it on TV.

"It is terribly sad that a major sports event of this sort has to be cancelled in this way.

"But we have to put safety and security matters first. There is no question about that. I think we have done the only thing we could do. There was no choice in this situation."