The inclusive cross section for the photoproduction of neutral pious has be
en measured as a function of the transverse momentum, rapidity, and Feynman
x of the pi (0) mesons at an average photon-proton centre-of-mass energy o
f 208 GeV and for photon virtualities below Q(2) = 0.01 GeV2. The pi (0) me
asurement extends the range covered by previous charged particle measuremen
ts at HERA by two units of rapidity in the photon direction down to a value
of -5.5 in the gammap centre-of-mass frame. The pi (0) transverse momentum
distribution is well described over the whole measured range by a power la
w ansatz, while an exponential fit falls below the data at transverse momen
tum values above 1.5 GeV/c. Good agreement with the predictions of the Mont
e Carlo models PYTHIA and PHOJET is found. In the context of the PYTHIA mod
el the data are inconsistent with large intrinsic transverse momentum value
s in the photon.