UK police have issued a final warning to 114 people subject to Football Banning Orders who have not yet surrendered their passports during the World Cup tournament window. England open their Group L campaign against Croatia on Wednesday, and authorities say those who fail to comply could face arrest.
According to the UK Football Policing Unit, 94% of the 2,439 people currently under a banning order have complied with the passport requirement. Football Banning Orders are given to those convicted of offences at football matches and prevent individuals from travelling abroad.
Chief Constable Mark Roberts, head of the UKFPU, said the orders were an effective tool but warned those who had yet to hand over their documents.
Unfortunately, there are a small number of fans who have yet to surrender their passports, and work is ongoing to locate and arrest them. In addition, we have now shared their details with the American authorities, meaning that if they do attempt to attend the World Cup then they will face the full force of the authorities in the USA, as well as those here in the UK when they return.
Marc Cucurella Joins Real Madrid
Spain defender Marc Cucurella has left Chelsea and signed for Real Madrid. The move is a £52m deal.
Ruben Amorim Appointed AC Milan Manager
Ruben Amorim has found a new job following his departure from Manchester United. The former United boss will be appointed the new manager of AC Milan. Manchester United will now not need to pay Amorim his full £16.7m compensation.
Spain vs Cape Verde Kick-Off
Spain face Cape Verde in the first kick-off of the day on the World Cup schedule. The match will start at 5pm BST and 12pm ET. Coverage of that fixture will continue separately ahead of kick-off.
Reader Debate on Classic Football Songs
Contributions to a discussion of all-time classic football songs included a nomination from Simon McMahon, who recalled being age 10 and a half at Spain 82 and said the memories remain vivid. McMahon cited Dave Narey v Brazil, Rossi's hat-trick in the second group phase, West Germany v France in the semis, and Tardelli's final celebration.
Simon Flaherty challenged World in Motion as the best football song, arguing in favour of Put 'Em Under Pressure from Jack Charlton's 1990 campaign.
To paraphrase John Lennon, "World in Motion" wasn't even the best song of Italia '90. To be fair, just about everything remotely attached to Jack Charlton's 1990 campaign has a near mythical rose-tinted nostalgia attached to it in Ireland, but "Put 'Em Under Pressure" stands the test of time. It is a masterpiece of sonic maximalism. It's got everything: the ghostly Enya-esque opening vocals, the Jack Charlton voice-over, the kick-the-door-off-the-hinges main riff, the cheesy chorus (feat. Mick McCarthy on drums!), and with all do deference to AC/DC the greatest rock bagpipe solo of all time.
