LONDON -- On the day England captain David Beckham made a televised plea to England supporters to behave at last Tuesday's friendly against Serbia and Montenegro and the Euro 2004 qualifying tie against Slovakia next Wednesday, UEFA rewarded Manchester City with a place in Europe for 2003-2004 as England had finished at the top of its Fair Play League.
So European football's ruling body, which had threatened the national team and English clubs with expulsion from its competitions if hooliganism reared its ugly head again gave City, the highest-placed club in the Premiership's Fair Play League not to qualify for Europe, a UEFA Cup berth for next season.