The Football Association have warned England fans who are planning to defy the ban and travel to Macedonia that they are putting themselves and their country's international future at risk.
FA officials have urged supporters not to travel to this Saturday's European championship qualifier in the troubled town of troubled Skopje and England's returned allocation of 2,500 tickets are being handed out to local children in an attempt to reduce the risk of England supporters being at the game.
However, National Crime Intelligence Service figures estimate as many as 500 England fans could attempt to cross into Macedonia from neighbouring Bulgaria and Greece, and Macedonian authorities have promised the toughest of reprisals against any potential troublemakers. The FA's head of communications and marketing Paul Barber said: "I despair at those people who want to go against everyone's advice because they are putting an awful lot at risk - including themselves.
"There will be no segregation inside the stadium because England fans are not supposed to be there. So those who go will be putting themselves in a very difficult situation.
"The Macedonian officials have made it clear that any fans who misbehave will be dealt with in the most severe way. The last thing we want to do is to deter genuine supporters from watching the England team. It has been a difficult decision to take this course of action and although most England supporters don't like it, they do understand it.
"Any trouble at this game could lead to us being kicked out of the competition. For that reason I would question the motivation of those who are hell bent on travelling this week."
It has been reported this week that thousands of illegally held firearms are in circulation in Skopje as a consequence of the recent conflict in the Balkans. The FA have warned that those who choose to travel illegally and cause trouble could be in danger in a country where guns are carried not only by the police, but also a large proportion of the population.
The Macedonian authorities have sent police officers to England to liase with the English police and border controls have been reinforced, with plain-clothed officers closely monitoring all the airports. An extra 1,500 armed officers will be on duty for the 18,000 sell-out, both at the game and in and around the stadium.
Macedonian locals were restricted to just two tickets per person, but with the average monthly wage just £100 there is the risk that some people will be tempted to make a profit by selling the tickets on the back market.
UEFA have warned England that they face being banned from next summer's European championships in Portugal should there be any repeat of the ugly scenes that marred the win against Turkey at the Stadium of Light in April, and Barber concludes: "Anyone who travels and gets himself in trouble risks being banned for life."
