RIO DE JANEIRO. Dec 31 Seventy spectators at the Brazilian league championship final were injured, three of them seriously, when a fence surrounding the pitch at the Sao Januarlo stadium collapsed here on Saturday, a medical source said, reports AFP

Several people with spinal injuries and concussion had to be evacuated to hospital by helicopter - 30 of the 70 injured fans were later allowed to return home.

One of the seriously injured fans, a five-year-old boy. was set to undergo an operation on his abdomen but was said not to be in danger.

The second leg meeting of Vasco da Gama and Sao Caetano was halted and then eventually abandoned by referee Roberto Godol on the orders of the Governor of Rio De Janeiro Anthony Garotinho after 23 minutes with the score al 0-0.

However, his decision was greeted with fury by Vasco da ama president Eurico Miranda, who had argued for

the match lo continue.

"The military police chiefs were prepared to encircle (he pitch so none of the fans could Interrupt the match restarting he said.

However the governor, who is a weak-willed incompetent man. decided to have the match abandoned.

"He has no authority over the club and the decision makes no sense." added the president bluntly •

The two men look sure to clash again as Garotinho claimed that the reason such an important match was being held at a stadium that only holds 35.000 people was because Vasco directors had turned down the opportunity to have the game played at the much larger Maracana Stadium - which is now closed undergoing repairs.

Vasco authorities muddied the waters even more when they declared themselves champions by virtue of the 1-1 away draw in the first leg

Vasco's legendary Brazilian striker Roinario. who had to go off in the 21st minute with a muscle tear, said he would have preferred to win it over 90 minutes.

However Vasco's board were put firmly in (heir place when the organisers of the comp-tition - the 13 Club -announced they were to meet on Tuesday to decide whether in replay the match.

Under the competition rules i match can be replayed cither from the moment i( was stopped or else replayed in its entirety If the match has been abandoned due to goings on off the pitch.

According to television images the panic began when there was a fight in the upper part of the stand and the fans ran forward to escape the brawl, causing the fence separating the spectators from the pitch to give way as fans were pinned against it.

Ambulances came on to the pitch where several of the shocked spectators told reporters that they had feared they would be crushed to death.

The stadium has a capacity of 35.000 spectators but witnesses claimed there were more than that biside the ground for a match that would usually be held at the Maracana Stadium, which is currently closed for repairs.