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Welsh player fined for involvement in fan riot

By Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 16, 2000

CARDIFF, Wales -- Cardiff City fans have one of the worst records for troublemaking at soccer matches in Great Britain. Now the Welsh club is coming to terms with a new hooligan problem: one of its players.

Dai Thomas, a 25-year-old striker, was spotted on a BBC undercover film about violence involving England supporters at the European Championships in June and July.

After denying involvement, Thomas admitted he may have been caught up in rioting, though he said he wasn't arrested or deported. After scanning the video, his club fined him two weeks of pay.

"This is as near as we have come to letting a player go for non-playing matters," Cardiff chairman Steve Borley said.

The fine was the maximum possible under rules laid down by governing body the Football League, which said this was the first time a professional player had been suspected of soccer-related violence off the field.

About 500 people were arrested in June before England's Euro 2000 match against Germany in Charleroi, Belgium.

WORLD CUP QUALIFYING: Costa Rica took over first place in the group that includes the United States, beating visiting Guatemala 2-1 on a pair of goals by Paulo Wanchope. Host Chile upset Brazil 3-0 in South American play, and host Colombia beat Uruguay 1-0. In the other game in the North and Central American and Caribbean region, host Mexico beat Canada 2-0.

HOOLIGAN APPEAL REJECTED: Germany's Federal Court of Justice has rejected appeals from two hooligans convicted Nov. 9 in the beating of a French policeman at the World Cup two years ago. The court said it found no legal error to the disadvantage of the defendants, Andre Zawacki and Tobias Reifschlaeger.

FIFA BAN LIFTED: FIFA has lifted a ban on the use of the National Stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe, where 13 people were killed in a stampede last month, for international matches.

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