HOME Secretary Jack Straw today revealed that a major conference in Blackburn could hold the key to a successful English bid to host the 2006 World Cup.

The eyes of the world will focus on Ewood Park tomorrow when the fight against football hooliganism will be brought into the heart of East Lancashire.

Security experts from 26 countries will swap ideas on how to stop troublemakers spoiling this summer's soccer spectacular in France.

Mr Straw said the event would send out a strong message to English hooligans thinking of causing trouble in France.

He said a trouble-free World Cup this year would improve the odds of England hosting the event in the year 2006.

Mr Straw, a Blackburn Rovers fan, said: "This conference will put Blackburn on the map and is vital in helping to ensure a trouble-free World Cup in France.

"If there is no trouble this summer, it will help the English chances of winning the bid to host 2006 event.

"What will harm our chances is if English hooligans misbehave in France." Mr Straw added: "The conference is not designed for us to tell the French how to deal with hooligans. Policing experiences of football matches across Europe will be shared and it will send out a strong message that hooligans will be dealt with severely by the French authorities, with our backing.

"The French recognise that because of our unfortunate history of hooliganism in the 70s and 80s, Britain has unrivalled skills in dealing with the problem.

"Although football is still not hooligan free, it is much safer than it used to be. I went to the England-Scotland match 10 years ago at Wembley and the trouble was terrifying. I even remember so-called fans urinating as they travelled to the game on the tube."

Blackburn Rovers manager Roy Hodgson will kickstart the conference by giving a welcoming address in five different languages before Mme Dominique Spinosi, the World Cup's security co-ordinator and French police chief Georges Querry offer an insight into their security strategy.

A team of British security experts including police and FA chiefs will then present the British way of preventing and dealing with hooliganism.

During the afternoon delegates from an array of countries including Japan , Spain, Italy and Austria will outline their own country's preparations for the finals.

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