Soccer: Soccer programme safe for the moment

The Football Association and the Government have ruled out further changes to the soccer programme to help the battle against foot-and-mouth disease unless there is new advice from veterinary experts.

With the spread of the livestock disease showing no sign of stopping, world governing body Fifa are investigating whether the outbreak is a threat to international football.

An FA spokesman confirmed they were following the original advice issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) and that had not changed.

A spokesman at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said: "Football authorities take advice from the Chief Veterinary Officer. The FA have been in touch with MAFF and passed that on to governing bodies.

"The advice we have had is that there is no need to start cancelling whole programmes of football other than where they have already been cancelled."

The current policy calls on county FAs to contact local MAFF offices if pitches are in rural areas or fall within exclusion areas. The FA have also called on fans not to travel to matches if they live within exclusion zones.

Keith Cooper, Fifa's director of communications, said: "We are aware that some sports, notably rugby, have taken the spread of foot and mouth extremely seriously. There is no reason why soccer should not either.

"We will be advised by the people who know best, the health authorities, when they bring the matter to us. It would be wrong to pre-empt what will happen."