Had the English press not gone over the top, the Turkish media might have made less of the half-time row and still be criticising their own, reports  Anthony Lake from Ankara

We did not get the feared trouble among the fans, but the players decided to make up for it. The arguments and accusations have raged ever since in the media in Turkey as well as in Britain. In­itially, the Turkish press was gracious in “defeat” and indulged in a bout of soul-searching about why Turkey can’t beat England, but then, as the stakes got higher, things took a different turn, as the vilification of Alpay in England reached ridiculous and potentially dangerous levels.

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In the absence of hooligans in the stands, the press analysis of the Turkey-England game focused on violence invloving the players. Barney Ronay examines the evidence

FIST-ANBUL… We’re through despite shocking Turk violence… EVERY KICK, EVERY BRAWL: PAGES 2,3,4,5, back page & Score. The News of the World found itself in reflective mood the morning after England’s scoreless draw in Turkey. Stretched above a picture of “hate-filled Alpay” poking a naughty finger in David Beckham’s face, FIST-ANBUL captured in one idiot tri-syllable the mood of salacious voyeurism among the tabloid press in the days following Eng­land’s final Euro 2004 qualifying match.

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Chris Webb explains why the best laid plans of Brighton haven't worked out

An emotionally charged 1-0 victory over Doncaster Rovers on July 28, 1997, marked the end of an era for Brighton & Hove Albion FC. It was to be the last ever game played at the Goldstone Ground, the Seagulls’ home for over a century. Now it’s six years on and we re­main without a permanent stadium, leaving many fans such as myself angry and frustrated as the club continue to pay the price for their lack of stability.

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Matthew Brown on player power, principles and racism in the modern game

Suddenly player-power seems to be all the rage. But the England squad weren’t the first footballers this season to stand up to their employers on a matter of principle. Just a few weeks earlier, former Chelsea striker Mark Stein and two of his team-mates declared they would never play for Dagenham & Redbridge again following allegations of racism against the Daggers manager Garry Hill and the club chairman Dave Andrews’ instant and unequivocal backing for his man.

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Neville Hadsley bemoans the problems which mean Coventry still play at Highfield Road

When I was a kid, nothing could get me to leave the room faster than those dire Norman Wisdom films – the ones where everything went wrong and it all col­lapsed into high farce. The embarrassment was all too much for me.

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