HOWARD Wilkinson last night angrily accused the FA of jeopardising England's footballing future by ditching plans for a new national academy in favour of redeveloping Wembley.

After playing the leading role in drawing up proposals for the £40m centre in Burton-on-Trent, former FA technical director Wilkinson is appalled that his erstwhile employers have decided to press ahead with the reconstruction of Wembley - at the expense of his brainchild.

Wilkinson proudly boasts that the Burton scheme would be "at least ten times better" than the famed French academy at Clairefontaine that spawned the bulk of the side that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship.

But after mounting financial concerns at the FA prompted Soho Square bosses to put the academy on hold - even though the eventual cost of Wembley will be £750m - Sunderland manager Wilkinson claimed such a decision would have damaging repercussions for the English game.

He said: "The national football centre is absolutely essential to the development of the game in this country at all levels, and it would be a tragedy if it wasn't built.

"The current revival we're seeing here with young English players and the revival we're seeing in terms of the health of the game are very dependent on it being built.

"Everybody thinks it's about the international team, but it's not.

"It's about the development of football at all levels in this country, from the grassroots right through to the Premier League and then to the international teams.

"It isn't just about the elite players. The academy would help all players and indeed everyone connected with football.

"For the long-term good of the game, this is a much more important project than Wembley.

"There are many grounds on which the England team can play in this country, and it would be a tragedy if the academy were mothballed for a long time.

"It's at least ten times better than Clairefontaine and I would say to the FA: 'You've got this one wrong.'

"There's been a gross error of judgment somewhere."

At a time when football is awash with money like never before, it seems inconceivable that the FA could not sanction spending £40m on what would become the national game's new base.

Due to include 14 pitches, plus sports medicine and sports science centres, work at the site is on hold for at least several weeks as the FA consider whether they can afford the project.

Wilkinson added: "The project was one of the best projects at the FA. I left it in very capable hands, and the team involved in it feel personally for the project.

"It was on time and on budget, and I could not believe that what has happened, could happen."

Sir Bobby Robson, at Buckingham Palace yesterday to receive his knighthood, also reckons the FA should press ahead with plans for the centre.

He said: "I find the situation quite sad. I hope it doesn't get shelved because English football needs a base.

"England is one of the great footballing nations and we have to have our own training and development centre, like the one at Clairefontaine.

"The FA is the biggest football club in the country because it has the full national team and the Under-21s right down to the Schoolboy teams.

"Money is difficult to get hold of but it would be a shame if it were dropped for financial reasons."