Soccer: Host town's gold under threat

The Japanese island town hosting England's World Cup team may have to sell its most prized asset, a 63kg gold nugget, to pay for the spiralling cost of security for Sven Goran Eriksson's men.

Famous throughout Japan since 1989, the nugget - worth 100 million yen ($1.71 million) and housed in an Awaji Island museum attracting up to 400,000 tourists a year - may have to be sold if England reach the second round, say local officials.

"We have not made a decision yet, but there is a real possibility of it because our town is already in a difficult financial position and the cost of security is ballooning," said Wasaburo Kashiwagi, the mayor of Tsuna town.

Tsuna has spent three million yen a day on security since England arrived last weekend to prepare for games against Sweden, Argentina and Nigeria from Sunday in group F.