Source: Telegraph
Football Association charges Portsmouth manager Avram Grant after referee row
Grant squared up to Friend after the half-time whistle after seeing two penalty claims turned down and having Ricardo Rocha dismissed for conceding the penalty which led to Darren Bent's 12th-minute opener at Fratton Park. [LNB]Grant also ranted after the game about decisions going against his side, but an FA statement confirmed: "The charge relates to Grant's behaviour towards referee Kevin Friend at the conclusion of the first half of Portsmouth's match against Sunderland at Fratton Park on February 9." [LNB]Grant has until next Thursday to respond to the charge, which will be heard by March 5. [LNB]Friend also dismissed Lee Cattermole and David Meyler for the visitors but Grant felt his side were still on the rough end of the decisions. [LNB]"Referees are honest but they go with the atmosphere and they also read the papers, so it is easy to do it," Grant said after the game. [LNB]"I cannot fight against the whole world. For me, the Premier League decided on a [transfer] embargo that did not give us an equal chance. [LNB]"Then in the last 10 days there is the referees. Against Manchester City there was a clear penalty and a goal from offside. [LNB]"Against Fulham there was a clear offside against Bobby Zamora. Against Manchester United it was 1-0 and there was no penalty when (Patrice) Evra used two hands. Against Sunderland, two clear penalties against us. [LNB]"I can fight against everything but sometimes it is too much. Maybe it is too easy to do things against us."[LNB]
