Soccer matches may be staged at Twickenham because the Rugby Football Union (RFU) is tempted by the financial benefits of the deal, according to one Twickenham resident.

Chairman of the Heatham Residents' Association Philip Morgan spoke out after the RFU admitted it was considering the scheme after being approached by the Football Association (FA).

Mr Morgan said: "There is so much money involved that the RFU won't care about the local area. They are interested in making money.

"Despite the fact that rules and regulations would have to mean different bus routes and trains, the RFU will find a way because there is so much money involved in using Twickenham as a football ground."

Last week the RFU announced it would look at the FA's proposal to stage football matches at Twickenham, including the cup final, when Wembley Stadium is closed for repairs from 1999 to 2002.

But the RFU's director of support services, Ken Whitehead, said: "We have had a letter from the FA asking us to consider staging football matches at Twickenham while Wembley is closed. The RFU management board has refused all such approaches in the past."

But he admitted the board is planning to discuss the proposal when it meets today and added: "The views of local people will be an issue high on the agenda."

Rumours that Twickenham would be used as a temporary base for international matches and the Cup Final have been circulating since May 1996.

Worried residents living around the stadium were assured at the time by the RFU that no football would be played locally and rugby chiefs said football could not be legally played at Twickenham because the ground was not segregated.

Chairman of the Twickenham Society, Brian Parker, said: "Wembley is a different sort of place and is not at the heart of a residential area like Twickenham.

"For that reason alone it is not appropriate to consider football."

Richmond Council has made it clear to the RFU it would not approve of football coming to Twickenham.

West Twickenham councillor Michael Gold, who is leading the opposition, said:

"I want to see local people write in and say what they think because this has been a blow to community relations."

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