Sunderland FC

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Keane requests FA hearing

20 Nov 2008 - 12:56:46

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Sunderland boss Roy Keane has denied an FA charge of improper conduct after he was sent to the stands by referee Martin Atkinson for the second half of the 5-0 defeat at Chelsea earlier this month.

The former Manchester United midfielder has requested a personal hearing, a date for which has yet to be set.

Keane was sent off by Atkinson after approaching the official to discuss his belief that two of Chelsea's three first-half goals should not have counted.

He said at the time: "People talk about this Respect campaign and I'm not so sure about it at the moment because I think it has to work both ways.

"I didn't swear at the referee and I don't believe I was too aggressive either, but you should be able to express your opinions to the referee at half-time if there are certain things that you are unhappy about.

"It doesn't help either when I get a call on Monday morning from the referee's assessor and he says that Chelsea's second and third goals should not have counted.

"I got a similar call after the Fulham game saying that Kieran Richardson's goal should have counted, so these are the pressures you are up against.

"I think I have the right to question decisions when we think they are clearly going against us.

"These things are important in football - in this particular game you are talking about the difference between 1-0 and 3-0 at half-time.

"I'm not going to suggest for a second that we would have come back and won that game. And it's not just down to the referee, he's got other officials supposed to be helping him in the game.

"But I do think you should be able to question the referee when you see things like that going against you."

Meanwhile, the Black Cats have recalled Carlos Edwards from his loan spell with Wolves.