Passport row takes new twist

The passport fiasco surrounding Arsenal's Lithuanian striker Tomas Danilevicius took a new twist today after it emerged that the club did not use a system set up to check the eligibility of foreign players.

The Football Association wrote to all Premiership clubs last February with a three-point plan for checking players' passports.

If their own checks failed clubs were encouraged to get in touch with compliance officer Graham Bean or head of competitions and regulations Graham Noakes, who would help them make further investigations with immigration officials.

The move came after the scandal involving Derby's attempts to sign Esteban Fuertes.

But, despite enlisting the FA's support in the case of Edu, the Brazilian star who was turned away by customs officials at Heathrow Airport for carrying a false Portuguese passport, Arsenal still have not made contact with the FA over Danilevicius

An FA spokesman confirmed: "Arsenal did not contact the FA to check any details regarding the passport of Tomas Danilevicius The first contact we had regarding the player was when we received his registration.

"The FA and Arsenal were in contact over Edu on a number of occasions to look into that case but that didn't happen this time."

Danilevicius signed for Arsenal in a £1 million deal last year and arrived in London carrying a joint passport thanks to an alleged Greek family connection.

The Home Office say the passport is genuine but the Greek government claim they have no record of him.

"We have never dealt with him," said a spokesman earlier this week.

Yesterday FA chief executive Adam Crozier said clubs would not face point deductions or fines if players with false passports are found on their books.

But he said the FA was planning to consult fully with the Home Office in an effort to establish a formal policy which all clubs can follow.

That Arsenal did not take advantage of a system already up and running could, however, cause fresh embarrassment at Highbury.