ENGLAND have qualified for the Euro 2004 championship finals, but it was a passage to sunny Portugal darkened by one of the most unedifying weeks in the game.

Indeed, rather than bask in glory, there are several who should be hanging their heads in shame.

The fall-out from Rio Ferdinand and his doltishness in somehow forgetting to take a statutory drugs test because he was moving house yet that very same day he was of purposeful mind enough to go shopping in an exclusive store, has at best been risible, at worse disgraceful.

Top of the dishonour list is Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association.

Now I've a lot of time for the PFA. It aids hundreds of former footballers, promotes educational and vocational training for a legion about to leave the game and has built a power-base as one of the strongest unions in sport.

But Taylor's barrack-room bleating in defence of poor Rio has been nothing short of pitiful. Taylor claimed Rio's basic rights had been infringed by the disclosure he had omitted to take the said drugs test when failure to do so is a given offence. The FA had no choice but to insist on the player's withdrawal from the England squad ahead of the vital clash in Turkey.

What about all those other players - PFA members too Mr Taylor - who have complied with the drug-testing programme? After all, three of forgetful Ferdie's Man U team-mates attended the fateful test at the club's training complex.

Rio himself - of whom there is no suggestion he has ingested foreign substances - will not escape censure and rightly so. I cannot believe that he would have had a memory lapse about a new boot deal appointment or promotion of a new gizmo, gadget or game for yet more seemingly inexhaustible bundles of the folding stuff.

And then there's Manchester United. With three of Rio's club-mates attending the drugs test could not a call have been made to Rio to get his £32million frame back to the training ground quicker than when he runs up to get in on a goal celebration?

No-one can tell me he is mobile phone-less. Today's Premiership prima donnas are in a near-permanent state of half-Adams - mobile stuck to their shell-like as if appealing for offside a la ex-Arsenal skipper Tony Adams.

The Old Trafford club had a further part to play in apparently threatening to withdraw their other four squad members. Maybe they should have done. Gary Neville - only in the team because the alternative is Danny Mills; Nicky Butt - David Batty could still do the same holding job; Paul Scholes - is he ever going to score again for his country?; Phil Neville - enough said.

All four took their place in the squad, which then attempted to force the FA to put the Rio into reinstatement. There were hints of not going to Istanbul. But surely it was a case of isn't that a load of bull? Imagine the pampered brigade's agents going grey and hairless overnight at the thought of lucrative sponsorship deals or big-money moves going down the Bosphorus.

For once the FA, and especially its new leader Mark Palios, a former player himself remember, stood strong. They did not kowtow to a bunch who perhaps know the price of everything but not the value of wearing the national jersey. You could almost hear Messrs Sir Alf Ramsey, Joe Mercer, Bertie Mee, Sit Matt Busby, Bill Shankly and Jock Stein rotating in their graves, while if only a certain Brian Clough had been in charge of the would-be strikers rather than 'Sven-Orsitting Onthefence' as the national coach should now be known.

The FA have promised a review of their drug-testing procedure. Fine, as long as it's even tougher. We've all sighed at how athletics has grown tainted by drugs. Let's not let the beautiful game become even uglier.

Updated: 09:24 Tuesday, October 14, 2003