Meier fears for family's safety after death threats from English fans

Swiss referee Urs Meier said that he feared for the security of his family after receiving death threats from English football supporters infuriated at his disallowing a last minute goal by Sol Campbell in the Euro 2004 quarter-final defeat by Portugal.

Swiss referee Urs Meier said that he feared for the security of his family after receiving death threats from English football supporters infuriated at his disallowing a last minute goal by Sol Campbell in the Euro 2004 quarter-final defeat by Portugal.

The 45-year-old revealed that he had been offered police protection for himself and his family and the 15 people he employs at his electrical goods shop after receiving the threats because of his decision and which has been stirred up by the tabloid press in Britain since the match last Thursday.

"I am not afraid for my life but for those of my family and close friends," he told Swiss newspaper 'Le Matin'.

"When they begin to involve my family and invade my private life, that is intolerable. They are trying to destroy me," added Meier, who was verbally abused by British journalists the day after the match in the lobby of his hotel.

Meier has received the threats by phone and e-mail while his company has been flooded with calls from England, his private life in the case of leaving his wife and setting up home with his mistress, who is also a referee, has been spread all over the tabloid press.

Quite apart from being accused by the 'Sun' of stealing the match for the Portuguese he has had a flag of St George (the English national flag) draped on the lawn of his home.

Meier, who has been stoutly defended by his fellow referees and by UEFA over his decision which clearly showed England central defender John Terry was holding down the goalkeeper Ricardo, said the majority of viewers sided with him.

"They are furious because I took the right decision. The whole world saw that I was right, except some English people," said Meier, who was not kept on by UEFA after the match though they stressed it had nothing to do with his performance in the match.

He has received some support too from the English press with 'The Independent' chief sports writer James Lawton focussing instead on comparing the success of the Czechs with a coach, Karel Bruckner, who earns 1/45th of what Sven-Goran Eriksson does and is aptly known as the 'Magician'.

"There is only one thing worse than the repeated failures of English football on the big stage of the international game.

"It is the absolute failure to see what is before our eyes. There is only one virtue in defeat. It is that you may just learn something through the pain. It is a concept plainly beyond the grasp of the Football Association (FA), and that is a bigger problem than a grossly overpaid, underachieving coach and players who have been allowed to believe they are much better than they are.

"It would be nice to get a magician on the job, but right now a little basic honesty would be a help."