Ref admission clears England friendly

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FIFA today announced they will not wipe England's friendly against Trinidad and Tobago from the record books despite a mistake over substitutions.

Football's world governing body did not give special dispensation for seven rather than the maximum of six substitutions, but said that it had been a mistake by referee Enrico Wijngaarde.

FIFA said in a statement to the PA Sport: "FIFA can confirm it did not give special dispensation to make up to seven substitutions at the Trinidad & Tobago v England friendly match played on Sunday, 1 June 2008.

"The referee of this match confirmed to FIFA that he received no instruction to allow for such a special dispensation, but that it had been a mistake by the referee.

"As FIFA has received no official protest regarding this match, it shall be considered as an official match."

The decision means England will keep their points in FIFA's world rankings, which could have an impact on their seeding should Fabio Capello's side qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals.

It also ensures that debutants Dean Ashton, Phil Jagielka, Joe Hart and Stephen Warnock will all keep their first caps.

FIFA have restricted the number of substitutes to six in non-competitive internationals after Sven-Goran Eriksson made 11 in an England friendly against Australia.

The FA though were under the impression they had been given special dispensation for seven changes and that it had been cleared by FIFA vice-president Jack Warner, special adviser to the Trinidad and Tobago FA.

An FA spokesman said: "The fact of the matter is the opportunity to use seven substitutes was cleared in advance of the game by FIFA, Trinidad and Tobago representative Jack Warner, the FIFA delegate for the game and the match referee.

"Trinidad had the same option to use seven subs. There is no way we would have gone ahead with using seven subs without the approval that we were given."