By GEOFFREY PARKHOUSE,

Political Editor

THE Prime Minister is pushing ahead with her football Bill, despite

the Hillsborough disaster and deep concern in the Tory Party.

A key meeting of Tory back benchers on Monday will decide whether she

has their support, a decision which may rest on the apparent shift by

the Government over the need for swift legislation.

Last night the Tories were suspending judgment after her trenchant

statement to the Commons: ''I suggest to the House that you do not delay

a legislative measure to enable us to take advantage of Lord Justice

Taylor's provisions for another 12 months and it would be negligent to

do so.''

The Tories heard this in silence in the knowledge that the Cabinet had

discussed the issue for 45 minutes and that the Prime Minister had held

two additional meetings with involved Ministers.

The Prime Minister may have stemmed the revolt on her own side,

providing her Environment Secretary, Mr Nicholas Ridley, can convince

the Tories when he addresses them at the Commons at a private meeting on

Monday.

The signs are that they can be persuaded because the Government has

moved its original position that it is essential to get the Bill by the

end of July with its fundamental imposition of a national membership

scheme for football fans in England and Wales.

Last night the Tories were being told that, providing the Government

gets a vote to support the principle of this before the summer, the

important stages of legislation could be left over till the autumn. This

would allow the recommendations of the High Court Judge, Lord Taylor, to

be encompassed in the Bill before November.

On Monday, the Tory critics will want specific assurances from Mr

Ridley on this point. They will also want to know that the Government

will accept Lord Taylor's judgment on the issue of the membership card

scheme.

Last night Mr John Carlisle, chairman of the Tory back benchers'

sports committee said; ''I'm a little happier than I was last night. But

I will be seeking assurances from Mr Ridley that Lord Justice Taylor's

recommendations in the wake of the Hillsborough catastrophe will be

accepted by the Government without qualification.''

He had heard the Prime Minister at her most defiant earlier in the

Commons when Labour leader, Mr Neil Kinnock, accused her of ''pride''.

He demanded: ''How can you in the aftermath of that terrible tragedy

last Saturday put the safety of others second to your own pride?''

Mrs Thatcher responded: ''The decision we are asked to take is against

the background of four decades of problems with crowd safety and two

decades of hooliganism. Nearly 300 people have died. We have the worst

record in the developed world.

''To refuse to pass the Bill this session to deal with problems

already identified and then to leave ourselves with no vehicle by which

to respond immediately to the lessons from Hillsborough -- including an

all-seating stadium -- would be a very grave decision for this House.

''A Bill completed in this session would still be able to take account

of any interim recommendations by Lord Justice Taylor. Not to proceed

with the Bill this session would delay by 12 months any response to

these grave problems.''

Mr Kinnock is equally determined. He said later: ''It is not just that

the Bill is worrying. The Bill is potentially very dangerous.'' He went

on: ''The identification card scheme does not only fail to deal with

hooliganism outside the ground, but it intensifies the problem.

''She is not willing to listen to the voices of experience. She is not

willing to listen to the cries of tragedy.''

Government Whips will be sounding out opinion over the weekend before

the crucial Ridley meeting on Monday. Mrs Thatcher has taken a typically

high risk stance on the Football Supporters Club Bill.

Lord Taylor hopes to make interim recommendations within a matter of

weeks and, should he find that a national membership scheme might impede

crowd control at football grounds, the Prime Minister would have no

option but to drop the scheme. But if Mr Ridley can convince the Tories

on Monday that the Government will accept Lord Taylor's findings in full

and allow more time beyond the summer for legislation, Mrs Thatcher may

yet get enough support from the Tories to allow the Bill through.