You have to say that the charge of "violent conduct" against Wayne Rooney is an absolute nonsense - and because of it we will now be deprived of his talents for the next three matches.
In the cold light of day, can anyone really justify a three-match ban for what was a trivial incident?
You don't like to think that there is someone applying the rules differently when United are involved, but when you get situations as ridiculous as this, it is easy to see why Sir Alex Ferguson feels the club is often treated unfairly by the football powers.
Tal Ben Haim should be feeling a little embarrassed right now, but you fear that he may be getting some satisfaction from the result he got simply by collapsing in a quivering heap.
His behaviour was disgraceful, and yet he has ended up on a lesser charge than Rooney.
And before any FA bureaucrats start to get too excited, let me make it plain that I do understand the technicalities of all this - Rooney DID raise his hand and put it on another player.
What needs looking at is the interpretation of that, because as the law stands, we should not be too surprised that he has been charged. This is supposed to be a man's game, for goodness sake, and it has deteriorated to this extent, where a gentle little push is deemed "violent".
If someone punches out, fair enough, but this kind of charge is just senseless to say the least.
And Gary Neville's point that these kind of incidents are generated by the media was spot on.
They have only started arising since television began showing more and more matches, and then we had incidents shown time and time again.
There can be benefits, in that deliberate elbows and over-the-top tackles can be more easily detected, but there is a danger of every innocent little incident being treated as if it was a life-threatening situation.
The sentence dished out simply does not fit the crime in this case. Tweet
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Spot on David Sadler! The trouble is we all complain here and rightly so.If someone were to tell me who's website we should be complaining on...let's do it.The FA has been punishing UNITED too harshly for too long and I think it's time the supporters let them know.Anyone agree?
Too right David. United has been singled out by both the FA and the Media. The Media is just looking for a story and who better to provid eone than the young England prodigy. Nevertheless, United will be restored to former glory when they hold high the Barcly's trophy next May. Come on you Reds!!!
The issue is that HE DID raise his hands to an oponents face and this is a bookable offence. I agree that the player in question went down as if he had been hit by a lorry, but rules are rules.. You NEVER lift your hands to your oponents face regardless of circumstance and feelings.
He knew that, others knew that so why should he be singled out as a special case
The world is not against Man Utd, and never has it ever been. Whether you agree with the rules or not, players should know and understand what they can and cannot do on the football field. Other players have been disciplined for the very same, or even less, so it shouldn't have come as no surprise to see petulant Rooney banned.
Yes, it is a mans game, and you could argue that this rule about raising one's hands and pushing them into an opponents face is a little too over the top and open to interpretation. However, when players are getting booked for taking their shirts off, or for leaving the field, then players must understand the consequences when raising their hands into an opponents face.
I never saw David O'Leary moan as much, or indeed at all, as the ever paranoid Ferguson has when Lee Hendire got a three match ban for 'feigning' a headbutt. Yes, that's right, he didn't actually make any contact at all, or intended to, but still he got a three match ban. Now that is a farce.
However, this never made the headlines because David O'Leary is mature enough to realise that however much he disagreed with the decision or the laws of the game, they are just that - The laws of the game.
That is not to say that the laws do not need changing and there are ways of setting about this, but one can understand why some players are so petulant when their manager displays all the maturity and decorum of a spoilt child in a playground.
it's about time that the f.a. was given a lesson in good sense.
the number of times there seems to be one law for manchester united players and another for the likes of arsenal & other london clubs.
It's a good job Ernie Wise didn't go down as easily when Eric slapped him!
Shame on Ben Haime and the FA.
Rooney pushed the opponent deliberately in the face. To a neutral observer, this should have led to his dismissal from the field of play. The relentless intimidation originating from Old Trafford cannot help to create a balanced view. If anything, Manchester United are treated too leniently because of who they are.
Quit whining David. Man U needs a few seasons in League One to lose their attitude that the world owes them everything including the best players in England and elsewhere. Man U have been buying talent and titles for decades now. They don't need to sell their home-grown talent the way other clubs do. People like me find it sickening when Man U grabs the best from others (Yorke, Sheringham, Ferdinand, Rooney, Van Nistelrooy) and then turn around and whine when they don't get red carpet and kid-glove treatment. Can't wait for Man U to fail.
I agree George and if the FA had been treated in the same way as some of our politicians there would have been a full enquiry!
Honestly I cannot believe what is written by you whingeing United fans and connections,you are all bitter and twisted with very short memories its unbelievable.
Phil - have a word with your Ann about the transfer system, teams have been buying & selling players to improve how teams compete for as long as there has been a league.
Its just that some are better than others at it.
The bigger issue if you are a United fan is the attitude displayed by Wayne Rooney. Although great players do often have an edge to them, petulance is not professional and he needs sorting out by Fergie. I suspect he is doing this "in-house".
As for that "Bolton" tart, the Lion of Vienna must have felt sick to the stomach. He must receive a ban for simulation, supposedly a hot issue for FIFA.
say's simon from altrincham.