Then, armed with video evidence, the club's lawyers should turn the hearing on its head and invite the FA to explain why a penalty was awarded when Etherington took a dive, why Stoke's second goal was allowed when Huth manhandled Hitzlesperger out of the wall and why we were not awarded a penalty after Tomkins was wrestled and then thrown to the ground by Walters. One dodgy decision is understandable, two makes the performance of the referee questionable, three makes the performance positively bent.
Both Pulis and Jones should be summoned to the enquiry and asked, under oath, if anything was said by the Stoke manager to the referee during the half time interval. Additionally, Jones should be asked if he was aware that Piquionne controlled the ball with his arm and if he felt under pressure to redress the error. He should be asked what he thinks the odds are of making three wrong calls in the space of 45 minutes, all favouring the home team. Pulis should also be challenged on whether Stoke players are trained in rough house tactics at set pieces and what action the club has taken against the three cheats subsequently.
Huth, Walters and Etherington should all face an FA rap for cheating and given bans. If Grant is in trouble for what he said, why aren't the three Stoke cheats on a charge for what they actually did? Aren't the FA's priorities arse about face here?
Bring the enquiry on I say! How can we lose? If Grant gets a touchline ban, nobody will notice anyway!
I agree with you, we should take this as far as we can. But I can't help but think the FA will find some sort of way to throw it out and blame Grant, and only Grant. Same deal with the Rooney elbow, video evidence proves he should have been banned, but nothing happened. I just hope that possibly from this we can really push it far and actually get some change, got knows it's needed!
ReplyDeleteCalm down Fanny, people might start agreeing with you!
ReplyDeleteHF once again you have got it right. It really is upsetting that the FA cannot go ahead and do some of your suggestions. Indeed, they should view some of your other posts and really will learn a thing about football. The fact of the matter the FA don't like the Hammers, and they simply went through your article the Premier League would be a better place
ReplyDeleteKevin in Manchester writes ..
ReplyDeleteYou just don't open your trap after a game and accuse the ref of 'evening up'. It can never be proved and it is strictly speaking a libel. IT never works and you'll always get hammered. It's a question of keeping your cool really and getting on with it. In any given season.. the old cliche as far as refs go; We'll win some, we'll lose some. Clearly there is a consensus just now that refs aren't much good and making too many mistakes. The only rational way to deal with that is body to body i.e League Managers Association or some such .. hammering it out behind closed doors with the FA.For all the above the FA's disciplinary procedures are and have always been poorly applied and notably lacking in consistency. For the rest can we have Mark Halsey ref all our games - he rarely drops big 'uns and lets the game flow.