Referee loses his kit ahead of Euro 2008 qualifier

BRUSSELS, Aug 17 (Reuters) Belgian soccer authorities had to kit out Northern Ireland referee Mark Courtney for the Euro 2008 qualifier against Kazakhstan after the official's luggage went missing in the disruption at Britain's airports.

''Seemingly his luggage got lost on his flight from Manchester as a result of the security checks and delays that were going on over there at the moment,'' a spokesman for the Belgian FA said yesterday.

Airport security was stepped up last week after British authorities said they had foiled a suspected plot to blow up planes bound for the United States.

Airlines have been clearing a backlog of stacks of luggage that missed flights because of the increased security checks.

Belgium were held to a scoreless draw by the Kazakhs in Brussels.

REUTERS PM KN1759