Source: Daily_Mail
Ryan Babel charged by FA after Twitter attack on Howard Webb
[LNB]Ryan Babel has been charged with improper conduct by the FA after he tweeted a mocked-up picture of referee Howard Webb in a Manchester United shirt. [LNB]The Liverpool midfielder criticised Webb's handling of Sunday's third-round tie. [LNB] Enlarge Don't mock: Webb in Babel's tweeted 'photo'[LNB]He wrote: 'And they call him one of the best referees. That's a joke. SMH.' [LNB]SMH is an abbreviation for 'shake my head' but it was the picture ofWebb which caused most furore and the FA have confirmed they will beexamining Babel's actions.[LNB]Babel, who went on in the 60th minute of United's 1-0 win, laterremoved the offending post from his site and apologised to Webb for anyoffence he caused, saying: 'Sorry Howard Webb.'[LNB] [LNB]In another tweet, he added: 'My apology if they take my posted picseriously. This is just an emotional reaction after losing an importantgame.'[LNB] [LNB] Seeing Red: Liverpool players surround Howard Webb after he awarded Manchester United a penalty[LNB]THE PERILS OF TWITTER Charlie Villanueva'In da locker room, snuck to post my twitt. We're playing the Celtics,tie ball game at da half. Coach wants more toughness. I gotta step up.'Villanueva, then of theMilwaukee Bucks, drew the ire of coach Scott Skiles when he tweeted athalf-time during a game against the Boston Celtics. Skiles wasunimpressed, saying: 'We made a point to Charlie and the team that it'snothing we ever want to happen again.' Villanueva was traded to theDetroit Pistons three months later.Phil Hughes'Disappointed not to be on the field with the lads today, will besupporting the guys, it's a BIG test match 4 us. Thanks 4 all thesupport!'The tweet appeared on Hughes' feed, although his manager Neil D'Costaaccepted the blame for it, before the start of the third AshesTest at Edgbaston. A Cricket Australiaspokesman said: 'He will be reminded that he shouldnot be revealing details until the team has been officially announced.'Darren Bent'Do I wanna go Hull City NO. Do I wanna go stoke NO do I wanna gosunderland YES so stop f****** around, Levy. Sunderland are not theproblem in the slightest.'Bent closed down his account and apologised after his expletive-ladenrants at Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy caused uproar but It worked, though, as he completed his switch tothe Stadium of Light soon after.Azim Rafiq'John Abrahams is a useless ****... ECB prove it again what incompetent people are working for them!!'The Yorkshire teenager was banned for a month bythe ECB after he reacted to being left out of the England Under-19 bylaunching a scathing attack on coach John Abrahams. It was said Rafiqwas unaware the comments were publicly viewable but he was neverthelessdealt with severely. [LNB]A FA statement read: Thecharge relates to comments and images published by the player on Twitter concerning referee Howard Webb. [LNB]'Babel has until 4pm on Thursday 13 January to respond to the charge.'[LNB]Last January, Babel criticised former Reds manager Rafael Benitez on the social networking site, and he is not the first Liverpool player to court online controversy this weekend.[LNB]Defender Glen Johnson, who missed today`s game as his wife had gone into labour, launched an attack on TV pundit Paul Merson after he criticised his performances for the Reds.[LNB]'Comments from alcoholic drug abusers are not really gonna upset me and who is Paul Merson to judge players, he was average at the best of times,' Johnson wrote.[LNB]'The only reason he's on that show is coz he gambled all his money away. The clown!'[LNB]A number of people complained that Johnson had brought up Merson's former drug problems and the comments were soon deleted.[LNB]And just yesterday new Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish called Webb's penalty decision a 'joke' and also disputed Gerrard's dismissal, but his son Paul, the former Newcastle striker, went even further via his own Twitter account.[LNB]He claimed: 'Fergie has his puppet Howard Webb on a piece of string.'[LNB]He also made fun of Webb being given an MBE at the start of the year, adding: 'Howard Webb MBE. Manc of the Busby Empire.'[LNB]Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish said earlier he felt it was just a joke and had hoped further action would not have been necessary.[LNB]'Maybe I've been out of the game too long but let's see if they can find a sense of humour,' he said. 'He apologised straight away.'[LNB]And Dalglish joked: 'I don't think he's clever enough technically to have drawn that up himself.'[LNB] Babel facing FA investigation after Twitter attack on referee WebbLiverpool caught in race row as FA probe Youth Cup tie with Palace[LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People: Rafael Benitez, Darren Bent, Ryan Babel, Daniel Levy, Glen Johnson, Phil Hughes, Kenny Dalglish, Paul Merson Places: Newcastle, Liverpool, United Kingdom
