Are FA disciplinary procedures fair?

[dww]

Appeal for commonsense

Feb 29 2008

by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo


WHAT chance do referees have of displaying common sense and sensitivity, when they have bosses like the “silly little men” (copyright Steve Gibson) at the FA.

Last Saturday Javier Mascherano gripped Jeremie Aliadiere by the cheeks, Aliadiere offered a petulant slap in return.

Aliadiere appealed against his subsequent red card for violent conduct, and has since seen his ban increased to four matches.

That’s a longer ban than Martin Taylor, whose challenge left Eduardo with a compound fracture of his leg.

Complaints of elitist treatment in favour of the big four seem thoroughly justified.

Chelsea’s Michael Essien also appealed against a three match ban recently. It was rejected, but not considered ‘frivolous’ and therefore not increased.

Aliadiere was correctly sent off for stupidly raising his hands – but a four game ban?

How are the best interests of football served by such draconian nonsense?

They’re not.

[Joe King]

The FA disciplinary board should be a consistent panel with strict guidelines when it comes to appeals of red cards. The FA have come under scrutiny and rightly so but why don't Keith Hackett and his mob get any flak? One thing fans ask for is consistancy in the game and getting the big decisions correctly. At present, the majority of the referees are a joke in the game. I liked how the African referees let the game run smoothly in the ANC. I would like that approach to be used in the English and in the European game.

[AFII]

Adebayor should have been banned for three games when he had a fight with Bendtner on the pitch but they didn't do anything at all.

You can't get a more clear cut case than that but they let him off the hook.

The FA disciplinary board is a complete joke.