Wednesday 12 September 2012 21:35, UK
Government papers have revealed that ministers considered pulling England out of the 1990 World Cup in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster.
The documents also reveal Mrs Thatcher was told by her press secretary Bernard Ingham the Football Association was behaving "extraordinarily stupidly" for wanting to go ahead with a friendly against Holland in December of that year. In a letter dated September 5 Mr Ingham wrote: "You will recall that after the European Championships you asked the FA to consider whether to go ahead with European friendly matches and they cancelled a fixture with Italy at Wembley. "However, they have inconceivably gone ahead with the Dutch fixture in the middle of December notwithstanding that Holland has probably the worst soccer hooligan problem in Europe after ourselves." He added: "The FA do seem to be behaving extraordinarily stupidly in organising a friendly with Holland at a time when, apart from anything else, they should, in their own interest, be cultivating their return to European football proper." The December fixture was eventually cancelled at sports minister Colin Moynihan's request, the files state. Mrs Thatcher was urged to press Council of Europe members to deal "vigorously" with football hooligans who committed offences at matches overseas.
