England fans hoping to watch their team's World Cup progress free of charge on a big screen in Birmingham city centre will be disappointed - the matches have already been given the red card.
The Chamberlain Square screen will show games featuring other nations, but not England.
The decision was taken by the city council following police advice about the likelihood of violence by English fans.
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The only option for followers of England, apart from sitting in front of a television at home or in the pub, will be to pay #3.50 to watch World Cup matches on a 60-square metre screen at Millennium Point.
The T-Mobile Fan Park will hold 3,000 spectators and include synthetic turf, a full-size football pitch made out of sand, cafes and bars with waiter service.
It emerged yesterday that T-Mobile is to pay the council #1.4 million for the right to set up the Fan Park. A further #400,000 in commercial sponsorship will bring the total amount paid to the council to #1.8 million.
The council said T-Mobile did not expect to make a profit out of the venture, which was a marketing exercise to promote the phone company's brand. A scrutiny committee heard fears from both police and business representatives that screening the World Cup in the city centre would lead to a repeat of the violence seen two years ago during the European Championships when fans threw missiles and rioted in Centenary Square and Broad Street.
Chief Superintendent Peter Goodman, the central Birmingham commander, said: "It is my professional view that the World Cup this summer presents considerable additional risk in particular around the matches involving England.
"The staging of the screenings at Millennium Point seems eminently sensible as it removes the event from the proximity of Broad Street, which was a significant factor in Euro-fest. The decision not to screen England games at Chamberlain Square is one supported by West Midlands Police as the risks would be very difficult to manage within that environment."
Kevin Breese, the chairman of Retail Birmingham, said: "Many retailers were deeply concerned by the problems associated with the Eurofest event in the summer of 2004."
* What do you think of the decision to blank England games on Chamberlain Square's big screen? Click here to tell let us know *
