Source: Telegraph
Brian Moore: One FA rule for the 'big four' and one for everyone else?
How can Arsenal not have a case to answer for their fans attempting to get on to the pitch and injuring a steward when they played Manchester City?
Apparently, because there was alleged provocation from Emmanuel Adebayor in the latter case and Craig Bellamy unwisely got himself involved with the trespassing fan in the former, the Football Association apparently thinks the clubs do not merit a charge.
First, the proximity of a player has nothing to do with a club's responsibility for the behaviour of their fans and second, what sort of precedent does all this set?
The incidents at the recent West Ham v Millwall game do not differ in principle to the above events, only in degree. Therefore, the lawyers for both of those two clubs will be poring over the reasoning for the FA failing to discipline their 'big-four' colleagues, no doubt to see whether their previous statements that they would not contest charges should be reversed.
Finally on the incidents in the Manchester derby, when are football's masters going to use a sensible method of time-keeping, like a stop-clock; something used in team sports all over the world and in such disparate games as American football, hockey and lacrosse among others?
No more arguing about whether the amount of time added is correct or whether that time was actually played. No more electronic boards that nobody can see when the sun is out. No more post-match blaming something else, rather than the fact that your team did not concentrate right up to the final whistle.
It is that simple – or is this sermonising?
