PUNK RIOTS MAY AFFECT SEASON (2011/12)

The Queens Park Rangers owner, Bernie Ecclestone on 10 August 2011 (Wednesday), urged FA executives not to suspend the scheduled fixtures because of riots across the United Kingdom.

He explained that the disruption would send a
"terrible message" to the world.

The Premier League's executives are due to decide on the 11 August 2011 (Thursday), on whether or not matches in London and other British cities that have seen better days should go ahead as planned this weekend.

The decision will be made following the cancellation of the England versus Holland international friendly-match.

However Bernie Ecclestone argues that postponing more games on the opening weekend of the Premier League season would be counter-productive.

"I tell you what, it gives a terrible message to the rest of the world," Ecclestone told the BBC.

"The Premier League is watched all over the world and wherever I travel and turn on the TV, I see Manchester United playing someone," added Bernie Ecclestone, who is also head of Formula One.

"It is important and it is watched worldwide so it gives a very bad message about England and we're about to have the Olympic Games so it is not a satisfactory message.

"Can you imagine if these sort of things happened when the Games were being staged? It would be terrible."

QPR are due to face Bolton at Loftus Road this weekend, one of three London-based top-flight fixture matches.

However Football League chairman Greg Clarke warned that matches would be postponed if the police recommended it.

"The police have to make these calls," he told Sky Sports News.

"If they feel they have more important things to do than send officers to football grounds, we will support that decision.

"Our priority is to make sure the police are out there dealing with unrest on the streets. We want to keep our games going ahead but that is a secondary priority.

"We have to support the police and the government in making the streets safe, then after that we can think about 'let's get our football games going ahead'.

"If they need to move police away from football games, we will cancel those football games."

In conclusion, I would make the safty of the general public my main priority, upon deciding whether or not to go ahead with the planned football matches.