Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of the English Professional Footballers' Association, has insisted any club found guilty of helping players to obtain false passports for EU countries should have points deducted.

Police specialising in immigration fraud are to examine the passports of 80 English-based players with dual nationality, 21 from Premiership clubs, to see if they hold bogus European papers.

The investigation overseen by the National Criminal Intelligence Agency (NCIS) will try to establish whether clubs have helped players obtain forged passports, and Taylor believes the Football Association should come down hard on any teams found guilty.

"The FA disciplinary sanctions are there, and if someone has knowingly broken their rules they can be docked points or fined," he said.

In France, St Etienne have been docked six points after the Ukrainian goalkeeper Maxim Levitsky and the Brazilian striker Alex were found to be using false passports. Both claimed the club had provided the passports.

Investigations are also under way in Spain and Italy, where Lazio's Juan Veron has been accused of inventing an Italian grandmother, and Taylor believes clubs have not done enough to check the authenticity of passports obtained by players claiming dual nationality.

Taylor thinks unscrupulous agents have been providing false passports for players. "I believe there's been a racket organised by agents for money to get passports to make sure they don't have to have work permits. There's big money at stake for them to make."

Several of the Premiership clubs including Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Derby, Sunderland, Manchester City and Arsenal, have insisted those under investigation had legitimate papers.

Robbie Keane yesterday collected the Player of the Month award for January as his five goals in five matches were the driving force behind Leeds' surge up the Premiership table.

Republic of Ireland striker Keane has scored six goals in total from his 11 games since joining Leeds on loan until the end of the season from Inter Milan in December.

Manager David O'Leary has already hailed the £1 million paid to Inter for the loan period as a potential bargain if Leeds again manage to qualify for Europe next season.

Chelsea chairman Ken Bates' position as one of the 12 most important men in the Football Association is under threat following his bitter blast at Adam Crozier.

Bates quit as vice-chairman of Wembley National Stadium Limited on Thursday, and, in his resignation letter to Crozier, was fiercely critical of the FA's chief executive.

Bates is also one of the 12 members of the all-powerful FA board, which is made up of five appointees from the professional game, five from the national or amateur game, chairman Geoff Thompson and last, but by no means least, Crozier.

The prospect of Crozier and Bates working together on the same board is unimaginable - Bates yesterday called Crozier "a spin doctor who has treated me shamefully".