The Football Association (FA) has urged England fans not to bring shame on the national team by travelling to Turkey next month and causing trouble that could get the country kicked out of Euro 2004.

The FA has waived England's ticket allocation and asked supporters not to travel to the decisive Group Seven qualifier in Istanbul, fearing that a repeat of the trouble that flared in a 2-0 home win over the Turks in April could lead to a UEFA ban.

"Being kicked out of a major football competition is about as bad as it gets for a national team," FA communications director Paul Barber told reporters on Monday.

"If our fans genuinely love their country and support their football team, don't put us in a position where we've got the shame of being kicked out of a major football competition.

"The consequences of losing our place at the European championships would be very, very significant for English football.

"The damage to our reputation at one level, the financial impact for us at another, the damage to relationships and the work that has been going on over many years now to build up our standing in the international footballing community, the difficulties with our sponsors."

Fears of trouble in Turkey have been heightened by up to 500 England fans defying a similar withdrawal of tickets and appeal not to travel to Saturday's 2-1 victory in Macedonia.

NO SEGREGATION

Fans in Skopje were not segregated, which led to minor unrest after skipper David Beckham converted England's match-winning penalty.

England goalkeeper David James told reporters on Monday: "The fans' response was not taken the right way by the Macedonian supporters and they obviously put themselves in jeopardy.

"The FA warnings not to go have got to be heeded... Turkey's obviously going to be a nightmare -- fans going out there are definitely doing it at their own risk."

Barber insisted that while Saturday had gone fairly smoothly that was no reason to expect the same in Turkey.

Rivalry between English and Turkish fans runs deep, particularly after two Leeds United supporters were stabbed to death in Istanbul before a 2000 UEFA Cup tie against Galatasaray.

"Last weekend, despite the fact that a few hundred England fans travelled, was a qualified success," Barber said.

"Turkey is a complete different situation, with more history between the two teams, more rivalry between the two (sets of) fans and a more violent nature to what has happened previously.

As for the stadium atmosphere on October 11 in Istanbul, Barber said" "We fully expect the Turkish authorities to stage the match professionally but, at the same time, our fans can help them by staying away.

England players did not help the FA's stance, though, by applauding those supporters who had defied calls to stay away at the end of Saturday's victory.

However, Barber said: "It's really easy to sit in suits and shirts and try and put ourselves in a situation we haven't been in.

"The players had come through 90 minutes of highly competitive football and they'd scored a victory in very, very difficult circumstances in a very hostile atmosphere. It was a spontaneous act."

UEFA has opened a disciplinary inquiry into alleged racist abuse by Macedonian fans of England's black players in Skopje. An England flag was also burned on the terraces, while the British anthem was booed by home supporters.

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