Football News : Britain at risk of losing FIFA vice-presidency

FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce has warned that there is a real "danger'' of Britain losing a permanent place at the organisation's top table within the next four years.

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Jim Boyce has been Britain's vice-presidential representative at FIFA since June

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Northern Irishman Boyce, who was appointed in June, believes the Football Association and Scottish Football Association's opposition to Sepp Blatter's unchallenged re-election as FIFA president has jeopardised Britain's future position as major players among world football's governing body.

"Yes, there is a danger,'' Boyce said. "I would be less than honest if I didn't say there was.

"The big worry now is that some of the European countries who always - as far as I'm aware - supported the British vice-presidency seat may now have a different interpretation. I honestly believe that bridges now need to be rebuilt.''

FA chairman David Bernstein stood up at the FIFA Congress this summer to call for Blatter's re-election to be postponed, amid the corruption scandal that engulfed the organisation.

But only the SFA backed Bernstein's motion and he revealed this morning that other members of UEFA tried to prevent his intervention.

Boyce said of the FA and SFA: "They did what they felt they had to do but I think they did go against the wishes of several European countries. I did hear some comments afterwards in the hall amongst some of the people that were in the hall because of what happened in that particular Congress.''

Boyce will serve a four-year term as vice-president but says he has much work to do to ensure that Britain don't lose their permanent vice-presidency, which they've held since saving FIFA from financial ruin after the Second World War.

"I would hope that in my four years of vice-presidency that I can convince people that should not be the situation," Boyce said.

On FIFA's ongoing battle against corruption, he added: "Let's try to get FIFA's name back again. Let's get rid of people who give FIFA a bad name. I honestly believe that's already started but it takes a bit of time. It can't be changed in three or four weeks.''