THE Football Association has responded to the Kent Messenger’s call for action on bladed boots with a three-pronged call for action.

FA Chief Executive Mark Palios, in a letter to the KM, said the FA had asked FIFA to investigate the safety of bladed football boots.

The newspaper's campaign began after a West Farleigh footballer suffered horrific leg injuries during a Maidstone & District League football match. Ian Tillott suffered a five-inch wound in an accidental challenge that sliced open his leg.

Other footballers around Kent and England have reported similar injuries from the popular boots.

Mr Palios said that as well as asking FIFA to investigate, the FA was studying the guidance given to referees about the use of boots with blades.

“The FA has also written to the manufacturers of boots asking them to consider the advice they provide to users on maintaining such boots in a safe manner.”

But the FA boss refused to accept that the bladed boots were dangerous. He said: “It is generally the view that there is nothing intrinsically wrong with ‘blades”.

Mr Palios said the referee was the sole judge of whether a player’s boots were safe.

Senior footballers’ studs are usually examined at the start of a match but such examinations are rare in junior football leagues.

Mr Palios said the FA’s Medical Committee had discussed bladed boots and sought opinions from manufactuers, club doctors, physios, referees and county football associations.

FIFA would have the final say on the safety of bladed boots because it is the guardian of the laws of the game, he said.

Mr Palios said the boot makers had shown their products complied with consumer protection laws in Britain and Germany.

“In your letter you state that ‘the FA has declared blades to be safe’ - this is incorrect... this is a matter for consumer protection legislation,” said Mr Palios.

“I hope that the contents of this letter demonstrate how seriously the FA takes this issue.”