“Something is wrong when a top international like Rooney is seen doing something like this, as clear as day, and is allowed to get away without being punished. If it was any other club or player, you can bet your life he would have been sent off. But officials seem intimidated by the words ‘Rooney’ and ‘United’. Manchester United are allowed to get away with things the rest of us get pulled up for. And you can’t have one set of rules for one club and another for the rest.”
Every team gets decisions that go against them. Until there is video refereeing, and possibly even after that, we can’t rely on the right decision being made 100% of the time.
However, it is the decisions that are made by the FA after the game which can help prove bias. Manchester United have long argued that the FA make an example out of our players whilst some misguided people, like Dave Whelan above, think the FA let us get away with murder.
Wayne Rooney has been let off without punishment following him elbowing McCarthy in the head at the weekend against Wigan. People use this as proof that the FA treat United differently than other clubs.
Below you will find several examples of not just where the FA have treated United unfairly, but when in like for like examples, they have treated United more harshly. Being able to compare the more severe punishments handed out to our players for committing exactly the same cry as players from other teams who get off with lesser punishments makes a mockery of the claim United are favoured.
1. Pre-season friendlies
August 2nd 2010: Patrick Vieira is shown a straight red card in a pre-season friendly with Manchester City.
“If a player gets a red card in a friendly he gets a ban for his next friendly, not for competitive matches,” said a spokesperson for the FA.
Punishment: N/A
August 4th 2006: Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes sent off for Manchester United in pre-season Amsterdam Tournament.
“At a Disciplinary Commission hearing, Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes had claims for wrongful dismissal rejected and will therefore both serve three-match suspensions,” read an FA statement.
Punishment: 3 match ban in the league.
August 3rd 2003: Steven Gerrard and Neil Mellor sent off for Liverpool in pre-season Amsterdam Tournament.
Punishment: N/A
2. Celebrations
January 22nd 2006: Gary Neville celebrates last minute winner in front of opposition Liverpool fans by grabbing his badge and punching his fists in the air.
Punishment: £5,000 fine.
January 14th 2006: Robbie Fowler celebrates a goal for Manchester City in front of the opposition United fans by doing a ‘five finger salute’ in reference to the five European Cups Liverpool have won.
Punishment: N/A
3. Drugs tests
2003: Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand missed a drugs test. (Rio tried to arrange a return to Carrington whilst the drug testers were still there but they said no, despite staying for a further half an hour. Read about this unjust treatment in more detail)
Punishment: Eight month ban and £50,000 fine
2002: Manchester City’s Christian Negouai missed a drugs test.
Punishment: £2,000 fine
4. Verbal abuse of the ref
January 16th 2011: Rafael da Silva shouts at referee Mike Dean and gets in his face after being wrongly shown a second yellow card.
Punishment: £8,000 fine.
March 10th 2010: Steven Gerrard tells Andre Marriner to “fuck off” and sticks his fingers up at him after a freekick is awarded against him for a two footed tackle from behind.
Punishment: N/A
5. Forearm swings
January 26th 2010: Rio Ferdinand swings his arm at Craig Fagan in an off ball incident against Hull.
Punishment: 4 match ban (3 matches + 1 for appealing)
September 23rd 2010: Javier Mascherano swings his arm at Jermaine Beckford in an off ball incident against Leeds.
Punishment: N/A
6. Elbows
March 26th 2011: Wayne Rooney elbows James McCarthy in the head in an off the ball clash.
Punishment: N/A
September 25th 2010: Steven Gerrard elbow Danny Welbeck in the head.
Punishment: N/A
March 15th 2010: Steven Gerrard elbows Michael Brown in the head in an off the ball clash.
Punishment: N/A
7. The Derby
September 20th 2009: Craig Bellamy walks over to a restrained fan on the pitch and slaps him across the face.
Punishment: Warning of future conduct.
September 20th 2009: Shay Given runs to the Streford End, jumping up and down, pumping his fists in the air in celebration of a late Craig Bellamy goal.
Punishment: N/A
September 20th 2009: Gary Neville runs in the direction of the opposition City fans in celebration of an even later Michael Owen goal.
Punishment: Warning about future conduct.
8. Miscellaneous
The treatment of Patrice Evra by the FA. There is no comparisons for this as no other players that we known of have been the target for racial abuse by a club’s groundstaff after a game. Please take time to read:
- The FA’s Evra Report – United Perspective
- FA admit Evra case mistakes
- Ferguson: Worst Example Of FA Treating Us Unfairly
Man Utd News 24/7
Excellent point Scott
Also relevant today, there was the ‘electrocution’ of Patrice Evra by the FA after aggro at Stamford Bridge. Seem to recall a perfect analysis of why that was unfair on RoM at the time. Too lazy to check the archive.
In the elbow section, you could add this Scott: http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/819215-malouda-should-have-been-sent-off-for-elbow-attack-says-ricardo-rocha
As for the Bellamy incident, lets not forget that Evra got a 4 match ban for getting into a fight with the Chelsea idiot.
Yes, sometimes resolving to this sort of hindsight is a bit odd and might sound somewhat bitter but this time around it was absolutely a must. Don’t know how it would affect the referees judging Rooney’s future actions on the pitch but the bullshit must surely be addressed. And Scott is always quick to do just that.
Lastnight I was telling my scouse supporting housemate that Rooney is lucky on this occasion but I can give him a load of examples of the FA unfairly treating United. He said ‘give me just one!’ …he now regrets asking!
@Costas – the stat man. how much is it left from Fergie’s 2 years caution from the FA ? I can’t call what the game was and what year.
he’s a very naughty boy
and some other ref will even the score
Thanks Scott for putting the Evra links up. I still fume over that case.
@Corea
When did that happen? After he called Alan Wiley unfit? Where is he by the way? If that’s when he got that caution, it runs out in October.
@Costas – yes, i think it was 2 years no ? Sunderland game i guess.
He was quiet understandably since then.
The Stevie G incidents are the most directly comparable – case closed. Martinez and Whelan would do well to remember that we gave them Cleverly when many others were looking for him.
F. A = Fucked up Asshole
Although what rooney did was wrong I was 99% sure F.A can’t punish him further because
1)Refree saw the incident and awarded the freekick.
2)Refree saw the incident and awarded the freekick.
3)Refree saw the incident and awarded the freekick.
This was the same reason given when Star Fish escaped the F.A punishment, twice.
(couldn’t be 100% sure, those cunts at F.A might say this is a special case so rooney gets 3 months ban.)
You’re completely right with what you’ve pointed out and it shows good research. However, in my humble opinion it’s not the FA making an example of United, it’s the FA not showing consistency against other clubs and certain players like Gerrard for example.
There’s no doubt Rooney meant that elbow and there’s no doubt he should’ve faced a 3 match ban, but as you say then the FA must do the same with similar incidents. As they haven’t punished Rooney in my opinion this now means if a player gets sent off and banned for 3 games for an accidental elbow while trying to head the ball as we see many times throughout the season that club should appeal and take the FA to court if it’s not overturned. They’ve opened up a massive can of worms by turning a blind eye.
The other thing I’m sure all football fans would agree with, no matter who they support is the fact Clattenburg is incompetent. Having lied by saying he saw the incident when TV shows he was looking at the ball, then he says he doesn’t see anything wrong with it when he’s seen the replays should result in him being demoted or better losing his job completely. He’s a terrible referee and not being able to see what everyone else can in a replay proves that.
Good luck for tonight by the way. Hope your boys turn Chelsea over.
Thanks Scott!! Have ben waiting for this post!
Why is everyone shocked that rooney hasn’t been banned?? I didn’t think he would get banned at all (although it did cross my mind they they may wana make an example of a united AGAIN!!)..
The problem in these cases is the system…i think we should review dives and incidents like this after games and have them open to further punishment regardless of whether the player was booked, sent off or if the deed went totally unnoticed.
But its so annoying how people simply jump on the band wagon bcos its united…even when it happened to another big club and big player – Liverpool – Gerrard, there wasn’t a big deal made of it!!..but bcos its the United the press are hounding for blood!! No doubt Chelsea journo’s scared of Rooney wanting him banned!…and all these ex Liverpool players saying things in hope rooney would miss the game next Sunday….on MOTD, Hansen said ‘ahh yea he’s in big big trouble, no way he’ll get away with it!’ SHAME – u flopped in ur attempt to get him banned…aldridge can keep quiet as well…wonder what he made of all the gerrard incidents!!! JOKE!
besides…i wudnt have minded at all having chica and berba start in the coming games if we had to!
The FA always applied a double standard.
In addition to the above incidents, I have absolutely no idea why ppl think the “elbow” by Drogba, Torres, Van Persie and Gerrard can get away from any ban/fine and getting all these kind of media hype and scrunity… All those “elbow” incidents are just as worse.
The whole nation has just gone crazy about this incident and I think they will not be satisfied until Rooney receive a life-long ban and Man U get a 10 points deduction…….
Mr. Scott the Red, yo man,please email this article to whelan.
Brilliant examples… All this talk by media – ABUs (papers / MoD / pundits / talksport the list is endless) makes my blood boil… It’s like they are blind to all the contradictory evidence that has been summed up in the article. I genuinely believe they know the truth but such is their hatred & bitterness & jealousy toward us that they use their power and medium to cause problems and unrest for our players and effectively spread lies.
what about Ballack nearly taking Evras head off with an off the ball elbow in the community shield a few years back
Scott, it was Jermaine Beckford not Pennant…before some rivals come on here spouting rubbish!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XctaTVfo_8w
…not even one 20th of the fuss made over this has there has been made over rooneys one!! WHY??!!!
Scott the Red, please e mail it to the BBC , sky, talk sport and the rest of the twats , I think the realisation that we are getting closer to winning the league, they are panicking and trying to fuck us up any way they can .
Good article.
I think the sensible fans (of all clubs) realise that the FA isn’t biased for or against Man Utd. They’re just hopelessly incompetent and incredibly inconsistent.
Scott
Reading this and the Evra links which also led to further archived articles has infuriated me. It’s made me remember how unbelievably ridiculous the FA are and that whilst being English and being proud of that fact, I can never support the national team with that mob in charge. You piece on the Evra case (The FA’s Evra Report – The United Perspective) makes my blood boil, who do they think they are? One group wear blue, speak like cockneys and therefore must be respected reliable informed people whereas one group were wearing red, speak properly and were more or less assaulted (at least verbally) by the brave boys in blue and are therefore lying cheating unreliable ill informed unimpressive children of satan.
How can a report published by a government department (more or less) or for that matter, an independent adjudicator be so biased towards one side and so damning where the other side is concerned? It is farcical. The Rooney furore is ridiculous at the moment. I don’t know whether to see it all as a bitter expression of resentment and hatred towards our club that we get treated like this, or as a compliment that we are the centre of other football supporters attentions, confirming how we are the biggest club in the world.
Now tonights fixture takes on more significance for me, it’s a chance to completely fuck off this disgrace of a club in their own back yard. COME ON UNITED!!!
no further comments needed. sums up well what we all have known for years
Backofit & Tekaboson STILL going on about it today on talkshite!! I felt sick on my way to work..
The worst thing is that a caller ‘called for’ video tech and Gray refuted, saying football is about opinion & discussion. If there ws vid, what would we have to discuss? How would we fill the 30min talking about this incident?? 3 DAYS AFTER??? UNBELIEVEABLE!
A united fan called and gave a rational unbiased explanation (that Smrtalex ‘touched on on Sunday) saying McCarthy looks over his shoulder twice, tries to barge him off his run… we all know it… n guess what? he got drown out n cut off.
How do Birmingham fans feel??? How about the late equaliser yesterday?? How’s the shooting victim getting along???
This week should be all about Birmingham and I feel sorry for them in terms of their achievement being overshadowed by an incident that is now a non-incident.
I’ve never wanted Rooney to score more than I do now!!
Nice article, but it won’t make a blind bit of difference to the ABUs, they’re not interested in facts unless they’re of the FSW variety. Maybe if fans directed their anger towards the FA’s general inconsistency in dealing with players, rather than bitching and moaning about us (egged on by the sensationalist media of course, why let the truth get in the way of a good argument?) then things might change.
http://football365.com/mailbox/story/0,17033,8744_6787115,00.html
good man Scott sticking it to ffotball365.com and thier AUB ways!! keep up the good work!!
They hate us we don’t care
Your double standards your vile behaviour towards us makes us stronger
Bring it on we have a date with destiny
Hated cunt Aldridge claims Sir Alex Ferguson’s comments in the aftermath of the match placed the FA under pressure not to punish the England international.
Aldridge told The Liverpool Echo: “THE decision not to ban Wayne Rooney for his elbow on Wigan’s James McCarthy is an absolute joke.
“It was blatant and the striker should be serving a three-match suspension.
“Alex Ferguson predictably tried to defend the indefensible after the game and put the FA under pressure and it certainly seems to have done the trick.
“There is no way referee Mark Clattenburg saw that incident clearly otherwise he would have sent Rooney off.
“There is no excuse for what the striker did.
“I thought with all the cameras now the days of getting away with things like that had gone but somehow he’s managed to escape unpunished.”
http://www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/50980/Liverpool_hero_lambasts_absolute_joke_Rooney_decision.aspx
I have pasted the entire quote, linked for interest only.
Sounds like an old man waffling.
BobbyCharlie1968 – Hello mate. Good post as usual. Its because we ARE everyones obsession. Example being yesterday on the Fairies defeat to Brum on the Mail site there were about 38 comments all day. On the Rooney story by 3pm there were 107 comments. Bitter and enraged ones in the main. Wouldn’t want it any other way.
Good post Scott.
Aldridge is a rat faced weasly cunt and would do well to remeber Stevie Me’s thuggery. Cunt.
Shut up Aldo, you rent a quote. He wanted Rooney suspended for the game at the weekend. As I said last night, Liverpool fans and their ex players, have brass necks, when you think of the thuggery of Gerrard. Fuck off Aldo!
What’s an aldridge?
Liverpool boys shitting themselves already for Sunday
Chelsea licking press shitting themselves for tonight
It’s lovely to be Manchester United
Isn’t it lovely when the fuckers are self destructing – how beautiful
@King Eric, Costas: Not all Aldridges are bad, check out Lily…:D
Costas asks, what’s an aldridge?
An ostrich with it’s head up it’s arse.
Rooney got one over McCarthy who tried to block him off even though Rooney was in the wrong here. The mass hysteria surrounding it is a joke. That cunt James Cooper standing outside OT trying to get people to admit he was lucky and not one of our fans mentions past incidents. I suppose if they did Sky wouldn’t broadcast it. It’s a joke and Dave whelan’s a cunt of the highest order always making stories associating himself with us. I still am pissed off stating why he wouldn’t buy us in the 90s or whenever it was as it would affect his JJB chain and wouldn’t be able to sell his shellsuits to all the scousers. Well fuck you and your rugby league club, we didn’t want you. Double Standards my arse.
Rio is sticking it right up the media’s arse on twitter re: Rooney “outrage”…
“The FA ‘bottle’ it with Man Utd is all I keep hearing/reading…. well you never said they ‘bottled’ it when I got a 4 game ban last season.”
Still with this Rooney intimidates referees thing? He is not to be blame for not being punished, he was stupid enough to swing an elbow at McCarthy, but the referee saw it and reported but not as an agression.
It was on the final report, and he said he saw the event (no he didn’t, he was looking at the ball) and decided not to chance his action.
So, if there’s anyone to blame on this is the referee, not Rooney, not even the FA (I doubt they didn’t wanna suspend Wazza and bet that were anxious for it).
Enough with the nonsene!
Am I entirely blinkered in thinking that Rooney should have got the free kick, not McCarthy? As Rooney was going towards the ball, McCarthy ran at him with his left arm out to block him, with no attempt to get the ball. That was a foul, the first in the sequence. Rooney, seeing the player charging towards him protects himself from the leading arm by putting up his own arm to fend him off , which unfortunately connects with McCarthy’s face. I think the ref almost got it right, there was a ‘coming together’, and there was no intention to elbow the player, just a reflexive arm up for self protection. But the free kick should have gone the other way. In the current fevered atmosphere anyone trying to mount this defence of Rooney is going to be howled down, but it’s what happened. That’s why United were preparing a ‘self-defence’ case if it had gone to a disciplinary hearing.
I can see why Dave Whelan is whingeing, because he wants to take the spotlight off Wigan as they sink into the relegation mire, but I wish he’s just shut up. Generally I like Wigan and hope they stay up. Martinez is a good young manager and he tries to play football the proper way, but this stuff about Rooney just comes across as ABU shite. It would make me think twice about loaning out a Cleverley in future.
@ smartalex thats a genious comment on aldridge
Was she any good?
Kudos to STR for his meticulous research. Now someone take this and shove it to some FA official!
that’s why i love scott and i love this website. please tell ABUs. but as research has shown. ABUs don’t have brains so i doubt they will be able to read and understand this.
Giles – No mate you aren’t the only one. I have heard a few say it and think it myself. If you are running at 25mph and a lad moves across you, you automatically go into fight or flight and will raise an arm. If not your swede could be knocked off.
jeet – Yeah mate Lily ain’t too shabby is she?
That fat fucking cunt Shaun Custis from the Sun threw in his two penneths this morning on Sky Sports News regarding Rooney. He said, and I quote: ‘Alex Ferguson has played a clever hand saying the FA will electrocute Rooney for this and as a result, he has got his own way and Rooney will now be available to play Chelsea’. Fuck off you cunt. He takes great pleasure in calling our great man by his incorrect name, just like everyone at the Sun does. Now I’m not excusing what Rooney did, but didn’t that fucking bastard Terry rugby tackle Jo of Manchester City when he was through on goal, but got away with it, enabling him to face United? This is one of the rare occasions we got lucky, but it seems that’s enough for the scum media to make a big issue of this. Cunts the lot of them. It is because of this I haven’t purchased any newspaper in over 10 years.
Giles Oakley – No sir, you are not “blinkered in thinking that Rooney should have got the free kick, not McCarthy?” I repost my view, hoping to initiate analysis by those who have access to quality footage, and an open mind. Nearly every viewer (including United supporters) owe Wayne a big apology.
FEBRUARY 28, 2011 AT 17:55
smartalex says:
What you see on the footage of the elbow incident, is Wayne running to pass McCarthy, who moves, blocking Wayne, so Rooney tries to accelerate past him.
At the moment where McCarthy moves left, Wayne is coming off his left foot. As he is being blocked from the right, he has 3 options:
-Crash his right shoulder into McCarthy, stopping the run he was making, then pass on the right;
-Drop his right shoulder back, short step right foot, and pass McCarthy on a left step. Very slow, and takes him away from the ball he had been chasing before the impedance;
-Raise his right shoulder, while leaping slightly, big step right foot past McCarthy, get towards the run of the ball, to apply pressure.
He chose the correct option, accidentally clipped McCarthy, who just about got what he deserved.
Not defending Wayne at all – he was daft to get involved – again !!
But 3 United players have received the longest FA bans, Cantona,Keane and
Ferdinand, so talk about the FA/Premier league being scared of United is just untrue.
Its a bloody good job Wayne didnt bring a gun into work – Jeez the Sun would have
allocated at least 10 pages on him.
Sir Alex Ferguson, Giles Oakley, FletchTHEMAN, King Eric and smartalex are the 5 people that have accepted and stated Wayne’s innocence.
Personally, I am getting upset with all those friends and fellow fans who appear to have accepted Wayne’s guilt. Have you actually spent time analyzing the footage? If not, you are requested to keep your unconsidered judgement to yourself.
And to those who hoped that Wayne did receive punishment, guilty or not, I wish for you a life of undeserved ills, that you may better understand ‘innocent until PROVEN guilty.’
Great stuff again Scott. Ashley Cole shoots an intern in the head with an air rifle & all the scummy press can talk about is Wayne Rooney. How many other times besides those mentioned have players like Gerrard, Terry, Viera & Bellamy basically broken every rule in the game & nothing is mentioned about it. One rule for Manchester United & one for everyone else.The media with their blinkers are so obsessed with us they analyse every little thing that one of our players does & uses it to sell papers. It’s not easy being the best, but it’s better than being the rest.
EVERYONE should be allowed to Elbow/Kick/Punc Michael Brown in the head with out being punished
amazing Rooney went in a time machine and punch the wigan guy 26march 2011 ore is it just the fact that United Fans dont have anything in there brain and cant debate about shit this was a straight red card but once again u see a pussie ass ref that is sucking ferguson balls
Wayne had the slightest of touches against him and personally I don’t care whether it was a foul or not, it didn’t look malicious or violent, no way in a million years is it a yellow card never mind a bloody 3 match ban. About time the FA treated us fairly.
Scott,
First ever contribution to what is, a qualiteh web-site…
Quality article… as ever!
But you missed two of my personal favourites… Martin Keown throwing a corner flag into the crowd (at Highbury I think)… And Carragher throwing a coin into the crowd…
Both had the predictable “nil response” from those gimps at the F.A.
Stumbled across this one by accident – as an out of the closet Chelsea fan I don’t make a habit of reading United slanted blogs. Having said that, I also thought it was worthwhile posting a response from another perspective.
On the whole Chelsea fans believe that the media and the FA are biased against them. As do Manchester United fans. And as do the fans of pretty much any other team I can think of. That’s the whole point. You only tend to notice the bad stuff that journos write or that the FA/UEFA decide to do and pick out similar examples that received lesser punishments. However, I think the FA/UEFA inconsistencies are partly due to the fact that the rules of the game and codes of conduct are quite vague and incidents have to be weighed up on individual merit.
Another point is that should be raised is that in this article you are only comparing United decisions with those of clubs with similar stature. This doesn’t answer the issue that Dave Whelan raised that ‘big clubs’ tend to get decisions to go in their favour. It would be more appropriate if you were to compare incidents involving United to similar affairs involving clubs in a similar position to Wigan, although I would imagine these comparisons are more difficult to make.
I would argue that there was a time when referees were afraid to give decisions against United at Old Trafford. I can recall images of an incident about 10-15 years ago where a referee awarded a penalty and about 8 of your players swarmed him driving him backwards and generally harassing the guy. Can’t remember the year or the match in question, but maybe some of you guys will remember it.
I think that much of that is in the past now, and there is currently a lot more pressure for referees to get decisions right and a lot more criticism when they don’t. The FA ARE inconsistent, but that’s not going to change any time soon, and all of the examples you raise are of players doing things which they know are against the rules and could land them in trouble, so maybe the discussion we should be having is why are these guys so stupid as to do it in the first place?
create petition to ask rooney to boycott england…
they are simply jealous of man united’s success..