Clubs scramble to get stadiums ready for weekend matches

MILAN, Feb 9 (Reuters) Workers scrambled on Friday to bring the San Siro stadium, Italy's most famous football ground, in line with security regulations to prevent this weekend's match between AC Milan and Livorno from being played without fans.

The match is one of 11 games in Italy's top two divisions which will be off-limits to spectators, barring last-minute emergency works at the stadiums, after Italy approved tough anti-hooligan measures earlier this week.

The measures, which force venues that are deemed unsafe to close their doors to the public, were rushed through after a policeman was killed by rioting fans outside a stadium in Sicily a week last Friday.

There was frantic work also being carried out at Florence, Brescia and Cesena in order to get those grounds ready as soon as possible.

TIME NEEDED AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said he approved the government's anti-violence plans but would have wanted more time to complete the works, which include closed-circuit TV surveillance, numbered seating and electronic turnstiles.

The government has accused clubs of dragging their feet on the restructuring of venues since most of the new safety regulations were introduced in 2005.

''I agree with the decree just not with the sense of urgency,'' Galliani told Corriere dello Sport.

''I would have preferred being given a bit more time to get the stadiums up to scratch, 60 days at least. We have to get 160 eletronic turnstiles installed and construct 900 metres of fencing,'' he said.

''We and Inter have set aside 20 million euros. If we had wanted to procrastinate, we would have done.'' San Siro, where Ronaldo is expected to make his return to Serie A for Milan in Sunday's match, is the most high-profile venue that currently does not meet security regulations.

The government said on Thursday that only six stadiums in Serie A were in line -- Rome, Palermo, Genoa, Siena, Cagliari and Turin (Olimpico).

It is not only domestic matches that are at risk of being played without spectators. Inter and AC Milan are involved in Champions League fixtures later this month.

NEWCASTLE UNLIKELY Media reports say Inter may choose to play in Genoa to make sure their fans can cheer them on.

Galliani said his club would consider going even further.

''Geneva and Newcastle have both offered to host us,'' he said.

Newcastle United played down the likelihood of the match being held at St James' Park.

''We did receive an enquiry about this possibility although logistically there are several difficulties,'' said a statement on the club's Web site www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk.

''The calendar shows a home fixture in the UEFA Cup 24 hours later if we qualify for the last 16.'' Work was under way in other stadiums too.

''After what happened our company has received a lot of commissions,'' said Domenico Uggeri, the head of a company installing turnstiles.

''At present we are already working on the stadiums of Florence, Brescia and Cesena''.

REUTERS PM RN1733