World Cup withdrawal by British teams?

Press, 17 April 1982, Page 64

World Cup withdrawal by British teams?

NZPA London . A special Cabinet committee may discuss whether British teams should withdraw from the soccer World Cup fn Spain because of the Argentine crisis, the "Daily Mail" said yesterday. The committee, headed by Douglas Hurd. Minister of State al the Foreign Office, was believed to have been asked to examine Britain’s sporting links with Argentina. the newspaper said. Its chief concern would be the World Cup finals in Spain from June 13 to July 11. England. Scotland and Northern Ireland are among the 24 countries who have qualified far the finals along with Argentina, which won the cup m Buenos Aires four years ago. ■

None of the three British teams has been grouped with Argentina in the first phase of the competition. Argentina's World Cup squad includes Ossie Ardiles, who joined the English club Tottenham Hotspur after the 1978 World Cup triumph. The "Mail” said that presumably the committee would discuss whether Britain should withdraw from any sporting links, with Argentina, or use political pressure to try to get Argentina banned from international events: Mr Hurd was a hard-line leader of his government’s campaign for a' British boj’eott of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games after, Soviet intervention in Afghanistan. The "Mail" said that if the

Common Market countries follow their trade ban on Argentina with a soccer boycott, the World Cup .finals would be deprived of France, Belgium, West Germany and Italy as well as the British teams. The Cabinet committee, which includes the Sport Minister, Neil MacFarlane, has — according to a leading sports administrator — also been told to report on the British Grand Prix motor race in July and the Wimbledon tennis championships. Since the retirement two ■ weeks ■■ ago of Carlos Reutemann. there has been no Argentinian driver in Formula One racing, but. Wimbledon is expected to feature two Argentinian stars. Jose-Luis Clerc and Guillermo Vilas.