DIEHARD football fan and York pub landlord Craig Holt was today in Istanbul - still determined to get into England's crunch European Championships clash with Turkey.

Craig planned to disguise himself in a hat and a Turkey shirt in an effort to slip through police cordons and get into the game.

Reports have suggested fans will need Turkish ID to get to the stadium, but Craig is hoping not all supporters will be checked.

He has taken advice from a Fernabache fan about getting into the Sukru Sarocoglu Stadium, Fernabache's home ground.

Craig, landlord of the Five Lions, in Walmgate, his wife, Jo, and two friends cut short their holiday in the Dalayan region of Turkey to fly to Istanbul yesterday.

Craig said today: "This Fernabache fan reckons we will get in no problem, just wear a hat to cover our hair up and put on a Turkey shirt. We're getting tickets for about £30 each on the black market

"I can't exactly say I'm looking forward to it. I know I'll have to be quiet in there, but it's been really nice so far here.

"If it looks too dodgy around the ground I'm not going in."

Craig said he had spotted just three other England fans in Istanbul.

The FA had urged fans not to travel to the game after fears violence could lead to England being expelled from Euro 2004.

But Craig, who has watched England abroad more than 30 times, has questioned why genuine fans should be denied the chance to watch the crucial game.

Thirty fans who defied warnings not to travel to Istanbul were expected to be deported today.

The UK nationals were detained at Istanbul Ataturk Airport yesterday and would probably be put on flights back to the UK, a Foreign Office spokeswoman said.

Updated: 09:52 Saturday, October 11, 2003