Source: Daily_Mail
Carlton Cole asks FA to donate his £20,000 Twitter fine to Ghanaian children's charity
Carlton Cole has revealed he wants his ?20,000 FA fine to be donated to a Ghanaian children's charity.[LNB]The West Ham United striker was hit with the punishment on Wednesday following comments he made on his Twitter account during England's match against Ghana last month. [LNB]During the international friendly, which was drawn in front of a sold out Wembley stadium, Cole tweeted: 'Immigration has surrounded the Wembley premises! I knew it was a trap! Hahahaha. The only way to get out safely is to wear an England jersey and paint your face w/ the St. George's flag!'[LNB] Outrage: Cole's original Twitter comments provoked an angry reaction[LNB]The comments provoked an angry reaction from the public and Cole later removed the offending posts, claiming them to be nothing more than a joke. [LNB]And now the England international has taken to the social media tool to explain what he would like seen done with the ?20,000.[LNB]In a series of tweets, Cole wrote: 'Good Morning! As you all know i have been fined for the jokes that i made during ENG v GHA match. I will be asking to donate the money...[LNB] Atmosphere: Ghana fans gave Wembley a festival feel when they faced England last month[LNB]'To a Ghanian charity of my choice, preferably to a children's charity. Hopefully the money will be going to a good cause...[LNB]'Sorry if i have offended anyone but there was no malice & harm meant. I never knew a light hearted joke would cause so much offence.'[LNB]After the hearing, Bobby Barnes, deputy chief executive of the PFA who represented Cole, said: 'The commission fully accepted the mitigation put forward on Carlton's behalf and his apology for any offence caused, however unintentionally.[LNB] Own Cole: Carlton Cole's Twitter comments landed him in hot water with the FA[LNB]'A fine was imposed with a warning as to future conduct but no ban was enforced. This case, along with the recent Ryan Babel case, highlights the need for players to be vigilant when using social media. [LNB]'We would advise players not to stop tweeting but to bear in mind that this is not an intimate private conversation.'[LNB]In January, Ryan Babel received a ?10,000 fine for posting a mocked-up picture of referee Howard Webb wearing a Manchester United shirt on Twitter after Liverpool's 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford. [LNB] Cole hit by ?20k FA fine for Twitter comments during Ghana friendlyX-rated Gabbidon lets rip on Twitter before appearing to close account West Ham boss Grant slams FA Twits for charging striker ColeAll the latest West Ham news, features and opinion[LNB] Explore more:People: Carlton Cole, Ryan Babel Places: Liverpool, United Kingdom, Ghana
