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Britain May Be Prohibited From Euro 2000 Soccer Tournament

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JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: The group that governs European soccer is threatening to kick England out of the Euro 2000 tournament if rowdy British fans cause any more trouble.

As CNN's Margaret Lowrey reports, the tournament has had more arrests made than goals scored.

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MARGARET LOWREY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Returning home to Britain in disgrace, alleged football hooligans deported from Belgium for their alleged role in the violence there this weekend: an all-too-familiar scene both before and after football matches, as soccer games are called here. But this time, an unprecedented number of arrests.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These English hooligans are a disgrace.

LOWREY: An unprecedented warning from European soccer officials. In Portugal, Britain's prime minister, attending a European summit, reportedly is apologizing in person to his Belgian counterpart.

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: They're hooligans who disgrace and shame this country. And, again, what we've got to do is to look and see what it is that we can do for the future.

LOWREY: What Britain should have done, some say, was more to prevent potential trouble makers from traveling in the first place.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What we have is a situation in which this has just been neglected and not properly addressed.

LOWREY: Soccer hooliganism is a problem across Europe, but many would say Britains have the worst reputation. The government has introduced control measures, but critics say they aren't enough.

While passports of convicted hooligans can be seized, Britain, unlike Germany and the Netherlands, has no special powers to keep suspected trouble makers from traveling.

But many of those arrested over the weekend had no criminal records and were not known to police. Some who follow soccer closely say it appeared more a case of mob mentality fueled by alcohol than premeditated violence. (on camera): In any case, Britain's home secretary says more is needed than simply making new laws. Britain has to try to change what he calls "the appalling culture among some young men who equate getting drunk and committing mindless violence with being patriotic."

Margaret Lowrey, CNN, London.

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