Barton escapes punishment
13 Nov 2007 - 08:25:06
Newcastle United midfielder Joey Barton will not be punished for his rash challenge on Sunderland midfielder Dickson Etuhu during Saturday's Tyne-Wear derby at the Stadium of Light.
Referee Martin Atkinson did not book the controversial former Manchester City star at the time and did not get a full view of the studs-high tackle.
An FA spokesman said: "The Football Association can only take action in the case of incidents that are not seen by officials.
"Whilst it is clear that the officials did not see the full extent of the incident, they did see players coming together and to take any further action would be tantamount to re-refereeing the game and this would be contrary to the laws of the game."
Under FIFA guidelines, a retrospective charge for violent conduct can only be laid down in instances where the match official does not notice the incident at all.