Grant questions Cole charge

15 April 2011 16:30
West Ham manager Avram Grant has criticised the Football Association's decision to charge Carlton Cole with improper conduct. Striker Cole has admitted the charge and requested a personal hearing after the FA took action over comments he posted on Twitter during the England v Ghana game at Wembley. The Hammers striker wrote: "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!" Cole, whose mother hails from Sierra Leone and his father from Nigeria, later deleted the message and said it had been a joke. Grant insisted he had no problem with Cole's tweeting and he suggested the FA should have more important things to concentrate on. "Today there is Twitter, Facebook. Facebook destroyed one government in the Middle East so I don't know what will happen with Twitter," Grant said. "It is funny sometimes, especially how Carlton is doing it. He is doing it in a funny way. If people like it they can look at it, if they don't like it they don't have to look at it. I don't think we need to take it too far. Of course (his apology) should be the end of it. To charge Carlton Cole with racism, I think it was a joke."

Source: PA