Turks urged to be ‘gentlemen’

Turkish officials have pledged tight security and have banned English fans from the stadium to avoid any trouble.

"While our players are on the field making history, we fully believe our fans in the tribunes … will support our national team continuously and act like gentlemen," the federation said in a statement.

"Our only wish is that … Turkish soccer, along with the fans in the tribunes and the media, end this game with honour and we witness another night of victory like we’ve become used to."

The sold out match at Istanbul’s Sukru Saracoglu Stadium will determine which Group 7 team advances directly to next year’s EURO 2004 finals.