The Football Association have stepped up their campaign to urge England fans not to travel to Turkey, by going to the homes of every club in the Premiership, Football league and the Conference.

The FA is so concerned about fans heading to Istanbul without tickets for England's crucial qualifier next month, that all 114 clubs will carry prominent appeals in their matchday programmes before the game on October 11.

The appeal, from FA marketing director Paul Barber, was also published in full on some official club websites yesterday.

FA spokesman Adrian Bevington said: ''We feel it is important to reach the widest possible audience with our message that fans should not travel to Turkey for the game.

''Through the support of the Premier League, Football League and Conference and their respective clubs publishing this article in match programmes ensures millions of fans will see this message.''

The appeal from Barber points out the threat to England's future in Euro 2004 if fans do travel for the last Group 7 qualifying game.

He says: ''Due to a number of unsavoury incidents involving some England supporters home and away, UEFA have made it very clear that any further trouble could lead to the team's expulsion from the tournament.

''We realise that our policy will prevent some fans from pursuing their hobby.

"We also realise that our stance penalises innocent fans. However, we are doing all we can to protect the wider interests of the game.

''Please do not put our country in a position where our players' and coaches' efforts are undermined by problems off the pitch.

''Please ensure we do not have to face the shame and indignity of expulsion from a major tournament. On behalf of the FA and all of the England players and coaches, please respect our request for England fans not travel to Istanbul.''

FA officials will meet their counterparts from the Turkish football federation at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, next Thursday to discuss security concerns about the match.

England head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has also invited Turkish boss Senol Gunes to join him at a press conference in Nyon on the same day.

Eriksson himself has moved quickly to defuse a potential problem area leading up to the game by apologising over recent remarks about his fears for the safety of England fans attending the qualifier in Istanbul.

The Swede attempted to dissuade supporters from travelling to Turkey by making reference to the two Leeds fans who died there before a UEFA Cup clash with Galatasaray in 2000.

That sparked Haluk Ulusoy, the president of the Turkish federation, into an angry response, arguing that Eriksson wanted to stop fans coming to Istanbul as ''he doesn't want them to see a defeat''.

Ulusoy added that Eriksson would be ''sacked after the game because he will have no credibility left and will only be fit to manage the national team of Patagonia''.

However, Eriksson told the Turkish media: ''I'm sorry that what I said has been interpreted in the way it has been as it was never my intention to cause any offence to anyone.

''I do hope that the England fans heed the advice not to travel to Istanbul but I'm sure that the game will be played in a great atmosphere.

''It should be the kind of atmosphere that anyone in football would wish to play in. Football matches should be a party.''

Speaking about a potential clear-the-air press conference Eriksson declared: ''I would be delighted to hold a Press conference with Senol Gunes next week in Switzerland to look ahead to the game and again call for our supporters not to travel, as well as a positive atmosphere inside the stadium.''

l England international Owen Hargreaves has revealed how Chelsea tried to sign him from Bayern Munich this summer.

The England midfielder was told by Bayern that there was no prospect of him leaving the Olympiastadion.

''Bayern told me it wasn't possible,'' said Hargreaves who was keen to commit himself to the German champions.