SOCCER fans in a North-East village will be denied a chance to see England football stars in action, it was confirmed yesterday.

The Football Association said there were no plans for members of the public to watch training sessions at Hurworth Place, near Darlington, ahead of a vital international clash next month.

The squad will train at Middlesbrough Football Club's £7m Rockcliffe Park complex, in preparation for the Euro 2004 qualifying match against Slovakia at the Riverside Stadium on June 11.

Sven-Goran Eriksson's men were the talk of the village when the announcement was made, but supporters are now unlikely to catch a lengthy glimpse of Beckham and Co.

A spokeswoman for the FA said: "I think it is very unlikely - they have hardly done any sessions for the public in the past and there is nothing to suggest that will change."

Meetings between FA officials and Middlesbrough FC are taking place this week but only to finalise Press facilities.

The squad are staying at Redworth Hall Hotel, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.

The clash with Slovakia is already a guaranteed sell-out after fans snapped up the 24,000 available tickets within 53 minutes of them going on sale last week.