MPs question FA's Respect campaign

09 March 2009 17:05
Respect was launched in August to address poor behaviour towards referees, but a growing number of MPs want the campaign scrapped unless Morgan is punished for elbowing Barnsley striker Iain Hume in the side of the head during a local derby match at Oakwell in November, leaving the Canadian with a fractured skull..[LNB]Morgan was booked by referee Andy D'Urso but escaped any further penalty and Emily Thornberry, Labour MP for Islington South and Finsbury, is the latest to back Barnsley central MP Eric Illsley's Early Day Motion calling for the FA to review their decision.[LNB]The MPs' statement reads: "This House views with astonishment the decision by the Football Association to take no further action against the Sheffield United player Chris Morgan following an incident during Barnsley's match against Sheffield United on November 8, 2008.[LNB]"(It) resulted in the admission of Barnsley player Iain Hume to a hospital intensive care unit suffering from a fractured skull and bleeding to the brain; and (the EDM) calls on the Football Association to review this decision and either to take action against what can only be described as violent conduct or to abandon once and for all its so-called Respect Agenda in view of the lack of protection given to Iain Hume and the complete failure of football's governing body to deal properly with this issue".[LNB]Mr Illsley first tabled the EDM in early December and it has now been backed by 14 other MPs from around the country.[LNB]Canada international Hume underwent emergency surgery and spent 24 hours in a Manchester hospital's high dependency unit as a result of Morgan's challenge and has only recently returned to non-contact training.[LNB]The FA decided not to punish Morgan further, concluding they could "only bring additional charges in the most exceptional cases and only if it can be proved beyond doubt that the actions of a player were a deliberate attempt to injure an opponent".[LNB][LNB][LNB]

Source: Team_Talk