Boxing: Warren points finger at NEC over fans' violence: Riots during Nigel Benn's title fight in Birmingham raise serious doubts about Britain's place in world boxing. Ken Jones reports

IN ORDER to correct an impression clumsily put out yesterday by the Conservative party chairman, Jeremy Hanley, a riot at the

National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham on Saturday night during a contest in which Nigel Benn outpointed Juan Carlos Giminez, of Paraguay, to retain the World Boxing Council super-middleweight championship, cannot be remotely dismissed as exuberance.

Violence worryingly reminiscent of that which disgraced English football in the Eighties, and might still be a problem but for diligent policing, was the result of animosity between a group of Birmingham City fans who have adopted Robert McCracken as a hero, and those of his challenger for the British light-middleweight title, Steven Foster from Salford.

In spite of announcements that McCracken and Foster would not be permitted to fight unless order was quickly restored, scuffles in the audience quickly developed into a pitched battle that threatened suspension of the main event after five rounds. Scenes without precedent in the modern history of British boxing saw the rival factions go at each other so violently with chairs and metal barriers that co-promoter, Frank Warren, white with anger, immediately telephoned the West Midlands constabulary to request the presence of special incident units. Warren complained: 'We contacted the police at the first outbreak of trouble, and I would like to know why they didn't arrive at the arena earlier.'

Blaming the NEC for failing to provide adequate safeguards, Warren added: 'As promoters we are responsible for securing the dressing rooms and ring area. That was no problem. It's what happened elsewhere that caused it to be a rotten night for boxing. The police didn't respond quickly enough and security at the arena completely broke down.' Warren intends lodging a contract with the NEC with his solicitors and is threatening to proceed privately unless the police prosecute offenders on the basis of video evidence. 'What else can we do,' he said. 'Within the terms of our agreement with the NEC we took every precaution possible but it is beyond our powers to deal with the low-life scum who came to cause trouble.'

As the reputation of McCracken's supporters has long since been a source of serious concern to the British Boxing Board of Control the inquiry announced by its general secretary, John Morris, is a matter of the utmost importance.

Certainly, the Board cannot afford to ignore the impressions surely gained by American viewers who tuned in to a delayed transmission and have not forgotten the abuse heaped upon Marvin Hagler when he sucessfully challenged Alan Minter in London for the undisputed middleweight championship in 1980.

Saturday's violence was beyond the comprehension of Dr Ferdie Pacheco, who became famous as Muhammad Ali's ring physician and commentated on Saturday's proceedings for Showtime, the television channel operated by the American entrepeneur and co-promoter of the event, Don King. 'Why Britain? You grow up with this idea of a civilised society and yet the only serious crowd trouble I've encountered in boxing has been over here,' Pacheco said. 'Passions run high in central America, but if there is any trouble it occurs after the event.'

Pacheco was not inclined to dispute the warning put forth by the master of ceremonies, Mike Goodhall when, in appealing to the rioting fans, he said unavailingly: 'You are threatening the future of boxing in this country.'

We were being re-introduced to a sordid truth. It is that yobbishness remains a disturbing feature of British sport.

It was embarrassingly evident last week at Wembley when silence in respect of Billy Wright's death could not be maintained and the United States national anthem was jeered.

'You can imagine what people watching in the United States will have thought about our reputation,' Warren added. 'It was the worst I've seen. If a football club was involved they would be ordered to play behind closed doors.'

However, the notion that Benn is so upset by intrusions on his concentration that he may desert British boxing can be ignored. 'Forget it,' Warren said.

Time appears to be running out for a champion whose attitude contrasts pleasingly with that of the World Boxing Organisation title holder, Chris Eubank, in that he naturally comes to fight.

Saturday's riot served to obscure a significant decline in qualities that have enabled Benn to overcome technical limitations. Achieving superiority with his jab, Benn clearly outpointed a moderate challenger but never once suggested he still had enough power to finish it inside the distance.