England Blind Team cancel matches with Russia after visa issues.

At extremely short notice The FA have had to cancel the England v Russia blind international games scheduled for this weekend.

The FA have been made aware that the Russian team only received their visas yesterday morning due to not allowing sufficient time for their applications to be processed.

Once the visas were granted the team then encountered transport issues that have meant they have been unable to travel to the UK.

The FA have worked tirelessly with the British Embassy and Russian Sports Ministry to try and resolve the situation. The Russian team were given clear guidance over the timescales for obtaining their visas and unfortunately have chosen to ignore the advice.

Cancelling the games is a bitter disappointment to The FA and its partners following the huge success of Blind 2010.

The FA have agreed to stage an England v Great Britain international game at 7.30pm on Friday 18 February.

Spectators who have bought tickets for the games are entitled to a full refund and are also welcome to complimentary tickets to attend the England v GB game.

Should you require any further information, please contact Jon Dutton: jon.dutton@logistique.org.uk