England’s Football Assn. withdrew its application for...

England’s Football Assn. withdrew its application for English clubs to be readmitted to European play this year in the wake of five days of street disturbances in West Germany involving British and other fans attending the European Soccer Championships.

“After what has happened, common sense tells us we can forget all about a return,” said Bert Millichip, chairman of the governing body for the 92 professional soccer teams in the English and Welsh league.

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who had called the fan uprisings “a disgrace to civilized society,” outlined a five-point program designed to prevent further fan riots at home and abroad.

In Dusseldorf, police closed bars frequented by fans attending the games to keep violence to a minimum. Police reported that they had made more than 500 arrests Tuesday and Wednesday, and that there had been millions of dollars in damage caused by fans.