Instead of preparing for an international against the World Cup runners-up in front of 70,000 fans at Wembley tomorrow night, the players will train with their clubs, having been released from duty, with the Football Association confirming their safety could not have been guaranteed had the match gone ahead.

Peckham-born Rio Ferdinand and Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney both used their Twitter accounts to express their disbelief at events that unfolded on Monday night.

By this morning, they were joined by the remainder of Fabio Capello's squad at England's training base in Watford to watch distraught at scenes on TV that made it inevitable the game would not go ahead.

"Almost everyone was commenting that there was an expectation the game would be called off," said Club England managing director Adrian Bevington.

"The players watched it unfold. They were also very keen to play their part in supporting the call for calm.

"A lot of them come from inner-city backgrounds. They are from the real world and have been shocked by what they have seen."

So, instead of one of their more prominent members, such as Ferdinand, who has spoken out on social issues before, addressing the wider public, Capello's entire squad sat with their manager and listened to Bevington and FA chairman David Bernstein explain why the match had been called off.

It was particularly harsh on Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley, whose presence alongside Scott Parker in a practice game that finished a robust training session which took place immediately after the official announcement provided a further indication he would have won his first senior cap.

However, there have been no dissenting voices inside the England camp, and very few outside given the stark reality of the situation.

"There is clearly an issue around crowd safety and travelling to the venue. But if there is a continuation of various incidents across the city it makes it more difficult to ensure the safety of our own team and the Dutch as well," said Bevington.

Having given his word to the KNVB (Dutch FA) that he would offer some concrete guidance before they boarded a team bus at 9.30am to get their flight from Amsterdam into London, Bevington was engaged in early morning meetings with the Metropolitan Police, Brent Council and government representatives.

It quickly became apparent that police resources were going to be so stretched dealing with the social unrest, the only conceivable way the FA would have obtained a safety certificate was if the match had been played behind closed doors.

"Anyone who has played in a closed-doors game comments about what a hollow, meaningless experience it is," said Bevington.

"That is before we start making calls to the Dutch to ask if they would have been prepared to do it. Then you the issues over sponsors, broadcasters, clubs.

"There are so many factors to consider without getting into the safety issue.

"I don't see how that could have happened."

Although the move will lead to the FA refunding tickets, Bevington said financial and broadcasting considerations were not an issue due to gaps in England's international fixture programme that would allow Holland to be invited at some point in the near future.

Bernstein insisted England will remain attractive opposition and, by declaring his belief the circumstances surrounding this fixture are a one-off, he was at least offering some consolation to beleaguered Olympic chiefs.

What no-one from the FA would do is offer any opinion on the potential disruption to this weekend's opening round of Premier League fixtures.

The Premier League and Football League will make a decision about weekend matches in London on Thursday in the wake of the trouble in the capital.

The leagues say they have no reason to believe any games outside of London will be affected.

News of violence in West Bromwich is worrying given champions Manchester United are due to open their title defence at The Hawthorns on Sunday, with matches scheduled to be played 24 hours earlier at QPR, Fulham and Tottenham, where the problems were sparked last weekend, on Saturday.

Much will depend on the ability of various police forces around the country to get a grip on the present situation and carry out the England players' pleas for normality to be restored.

"These circumstances are unique to modern times," said Bevington.

"We have made tremendous strides as a nation over the past decade, with the stadia that have been built, the number of spectators that attend fixtures and the fantastic occasion that football generates in this country. We have a lot to be proud of.

"The last three days have been very unfortunate.

"Hopefully it can be resolved reasonably quickly. We all have to help the authorities in that respect.

"That is one of the reasons we have come out and done what we have done. We want to play whatever part we can in calling for calm."