The FA stitched us up over Patrice Evra’s ban: Despite studying the CCTV footage, there was no proof he punched the Chelsea groundsman. They saw the Chelsea groundsman go for Evra on the footage but there was nothing to show Evra throwing a punch, the FA admitted in their report, yet they still punished him as though he did.
The DVD evidence does not itself show whether or not Evra actually struck Bethell. Evra denies it but we accept Bethell’s evidence that he was struck on or near his right ear and it was clearly Evra who struck him. We note that Evra is right-handed but do not see that as a reason to reject that conclusion.
FA let Bosingwa off: In contrast, the cameras of the World saw Jose Bosingwa kick Yossi Benayoun in the back. The FA do nothing.
Evra Ban Is Ridiculous… With Arsenal Fan Behind It: The general feeling was Evra’s punishment was absolutely ridiculous. The tussle took place away from the eyes of the media and there was no proof Evra threw the punch he was punished for. When you consider Bosingwa go no punishment and Didier Drogba only got a three match ban for throwing coins at a crowd containing women and children, it’s absolutely insane Evra was banned for four matches.
It seems less insane when you learn the man dishing out the punishments is a season-ticket holder at the Emirates.
And he SPITS does Fabregas: Phil Brown claims Cesc Fabregas spat at his assistant, Brian Horton, after Hull’s defeat at the hands of Arsenal. Fabregas responds by saying he would never do that. Then the footage of him spitting in Michael Ballack’s face is dug up and Arsenal fans claim Ballack had previously come out and spoke of Fabregas’ innocence. A few dozen Arsenal fans told me that on the blog yet none of them could supply me with the quotes or any link to support their claim.
The FA have reviewed video evidence and charged Fabregas, firstly for his aggressive behaviour when he came on to the pitch at the final whistle and secondly for spitting at Horton.
Now doesn’t this put Arsenal supporting Nicholas Stewart QC in an awkward position. There was no video evidence of Evra punching groundsman Sam Bethell yet they took the rentboy’s word for it. Clearly there is video evidence of Fabregas doing something he shouldn’t be so what’s the conclusion going to be?
I’m having a laugh if I think of one second Fabregas will be punished anywhere near as harshly as Evra!
Man Utd News 24/7
No complaint was ever made by Micheal Ballack or Bayern Munich, and now BM director of communications, Markus Hoerwick, has come to the aid of Fabregas claiming ‘It definitely never happened. If anything of that kind happened I would have been the first to be informed and the first to do something about it.’
the f.a’s disciplinary system is a complete joke,with a line of united hating conspiritors at its forefront so i’m definately not holding my breath on fabregas getting anything other than a smack on the wrist! It will be very interesting to see the outcome tho as anything other than a hefty ban will indeed make the cunts look A.stupid and B prove that there is indeed one rule for united and a completely different set of rules for every fucker else!
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/73448/It-s-been-storm-in-a-teacup/
Now give it a rest you tiresome Northern whinger.
I’m sorry but whether Evra punched someone or not and whether Fabregas spat or not, only a lunkhead would regard the alleged offences as of equal merit. Spitting is highly unpleasant; punching is dangerous.
So you have your evidence that he didn’t spit at ballack. That video doesn’t show Fabregas spitting anyways.
I agree that Evra’s ban was definately excessive, shouldn’t have got such a long ban. But if he did punch him, it should be treated more harshly than Fabregas’s supposed spitting near someone.
Physically hurting someone is way more serious than someone spitting at someone else’s feet. And MUCH more serious than walking on to a pitch after a game in a hoodie.
So if the FA find Fab guilty, there should be no way they give as lengthy a ban as some one who assaulted another person, and it shouldn’t then be attributed to some bias.
Author,
Is there so much to do on a Saturday in Guildford that you can’t take the time to get your facts straight? As Vivas above says, you really are a tiresome bore.
So what if an Arsenal fan is on the panel, isn’t David Gill on the FA or Premier League panel which is far more influential?
I don’t know about the Evra situation & frankly don’t care, but your assertion that they have video evidence of Cesc spitting at Horton is laughable. They have no such thing & I am 100% sure that charge will be dropped because as the FA have already said it’s alleged (which means not proven). What they’ll actually do is ban Cesc for 1 or 2 games for coming on the pitch in an apparently aggressive manner just to prove they aren’t biased, yet the clearly racist Horton has got away free from charges.
Man Utd get decision after decision, how many times has Fergie been charged, yet most of them get dropped & even when he does get found guilty he gets pathetic fines. Arsene calls Horseface a cheat & gets a record fine for a manager, Fergie on a weekly basis calls referee’s cheats if they don’t give him 10 minutes of injury time & 2 or 3 penalties a match yet gets nothing.
so is this about justice for Evra by nailing Cesc. Do us a favour, get a life…
Do you really think that one man , Nicholas Stewart QC, has the power to dish out punishments on every case?!
You are deluded , we know the FA are inconsistent with their verdicts but the Evra incident can not be compared to the Fabregas one.
There are tons of QC who sit on independent panels, do you have any evidence that Stewart is on the panel for the Fabregas case? No, because there is no panel, a panel is only set up on appeal and Arsenal stated that they would not appeal.Why? because everyone knows when you appeal there is a chance that you can get a harsher sentence-which is why Evra got a long ban!
Check your facts first mate before you make us reds all look stupid.
if you don’t like the blog find one for the team you support you muppets. oh and don’t believe the daily star all thats good for is page 3
good work vivas, going to the star for reliable info
you fucking tool, and a stupid one at that
I’m an Arsenal fan, and I think most of us agree that Evra got a raw deal, notwithstanding the fact that “an Arsenal fan” is meting out the punishment. Fabregas never spat at Ballack. EUFA and the German FA have confirmed this. I don’t know what Ballack himself has said.
Hull were highly agitated because they expected to beat Arsenal or at least get a draw. They also were unhappy about the Gallas goal, which is understandable, but there’s still no conclusive evidence that it was not legitimate, in spite of video evidence. But by the end of the game, they were in a fighting mood. For some reason, as a non-English person, I’m still shocked at the obvious hatred that Arsenal face against these true-blue English clubs and managers. Its shocking, but it’s a topic for another day. The point is, Hull were looking for anything to drown theirs sorrows.
In general, after five years of first team football, there have been very few incidents involving Fabregas. There’s of course the pizza story which clearly was hushed up by the Man U / Arsenal management in the interest of peace, so we don’t really know what happened. But apart from that, there was the mocking comment to Mark Hughes about the style of football his team (Blackburn at the time), plays.
That’s a very good disciplinary record, so no one can say that as a rule, Fabregas is ill-disciplined. Compare him for instance, to Rio, Rooney and Ronaldo. On a weekly basis, we are treated to Ronaldo winges and dives, Rooney and Rio insults to referees. I have lost count of the number of times that these two characters tell referees to “fuck off”. And I have NEVER seen either of them punished for it. I’m not trying to “beat up” on Man U, just providing a comparison. That’s why for us Arsenal fans, we do not believe it.
I’ll be surprised if Fabregas is not punished, and so far, Arsenal have never had an easy ride with referees and disciplinary bodies in England. I don’t expect a change.
The Bayern Munich Director of Communications stated himself that it NEVER HAPPENED.
http://www.arsenal.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=513732
There seems to be an unhealthy obsession with the Arsenal on this blog.
Well said LB!
The frequency with which you write about Arsenal these days, somebody could think that you are an Arsenal fan
football is a girls sport
people who play and watch football are fags
Come on Scott let it go. Fabregas clearly didn’t spit at Ballack, or the referee would have sent him off. Use your noodle.
“One charge concerns his behaviour in coming on to the pitch after the final whistle, the second charge relates to an alleged spitting incident. The charges are based on submissions from Hull City and video evidence. ”
Thats the official statement from the FA. Notice the word ‘alleged’. It was ‘alleged’ by Hull City and ‘video evidence’. This incident allegedly occured in the tunnel, there was no concrete video evidence or it would be all over the media. This does not prove that Fabregas has spat at anyone. Thats either a badly worded statement or Arsenal have been mugged off by the sore losers at Hull.
And as for the Arsenal fan bit, does it not occur to you that the majority of people working at the FA have some kind of allegiance- they’re working in football for christs sake. If you would prefer they could bring in people with no football knowledge or ‘football brains’ who wouldn’t understand and would probably charge everyone for everything!
calm down gooners, this more a dig at the incompetence of the FA than you. It is comparing the two cases which show both accused footballers with no actual video evidence. Both were charged over words from the other party. We’ll just see what happens and see if there is consistency, but i really doubt that. As everyone seems to say one rule united, another for the rest.
well no conclusive evidence.
Do you not think that as a season ticket holder at Arsenal that he may be under pressure to appear as unbiased as possible?
That Fabregas has been punished for what amounts to walking on the pitch in a hoody at the end of the game – shock horror!!! He probably shouldn’t of done it but I’ve seen far worse and as club captain he was only geeing up the players.
And then for spitting incident which has not even been proved.
I think the 3 game ban he faces is more than enough punishment.
The Evra punishment was way over the top but to suggest some kind of Arsenal related conspiracy seems a little paranoid to me.
Personally I think it is a case of idiotic bureaucracy and imcompetance from the old boys club that is the FA
I was really enjoying your arsenal related post regarding the fa cup and your preview of the cl meeting posts a while back, but now you just have to bring this up. & before any manutd fans starts asking what is an arsenal fan doing here, it’s because this post came up on Arsenal Newsnow. I saw it there, I’m merely here to defend fabregas on a manutd blog fan site.
First of all, the evidence that he nvr did spit at Ballack is – ‘No complaint was ever made by Micheal Ballack or Bayern Munich, and now BM director of communications, Markus Hoerwick, has come to the aid of Fabregas claiming “It definitely never happened. If anything of that kind happened I would have been the first to be informed and the first to do something about it. And Ballack made no accusation that he did.”
On the match report a few year back itself,- “The Germans were winding the clock, Ballack cleverly going to ground under a challenge from Fabregas, who was cautioned for shouting an insult at the prostrate midfielder”
If he did spit it will be all over the news wouldn’t it?
If you researched properly; which i doubt you did; he was charged of the spitting ALLEGATIONS. It’s still not confirmed, it’s 3 mens words against cesc’s.
The video evidence sent by hull was one of cesc coming onto the pitch after the full time whistle. Not the spitting incident. Read it again –
“Fabregas faces two charges of improper conduct relating to his conduct on the pitch following the game.
“One charge concerns his behaviour in coming on to the pitch after the final whistle, the second charge relates to an ALLEGED spitting incident.
Those quotes i mentioned above in ” are real ones and not my personal opinions or made up facts by the way.
And the Arsenal supporting FA? I remember a certain c.ronaldo used to kick and retort back by swinging/kicking his legs into an opposition player whenever he is tackled this year. And evra was caught in a melee/mini fight, while fabregas’ improper conduct was abt his attire and coming onto the pitch. Evra’s punishment was unfair but dont try to do a fabregas vs Evra argument .
I have nothing against this blog, i think this blog is one of the top blogs around but when you start talking shite abt arsenal constantly, then forgive a die hard like myself fan for coming over here merely trying to defend them.
“As everyone seems to say one rule united, another for the rest.”
You are as self pitying and downtrodden as your scouse neighbours. Are you Mancs so f**king deluded to think that the FA have an issue with you? When Dein was the leagues representative you droned on and on about this but now that your man DAVID GILL is at the helm…. not a peep from you hollier then thou mancs. Rooney? Englands superboy gets away with it every single f**king game and you still have the temerity to claim FA biase? You couldnt make it up.
And as for the video of Fabregas spitting, there is no video of him spitting you obsessed muppet, I think we would see this on the web by now dont you Scottypoos?
FFS!
Is this a United blog or a Gooner one?
Look, I know, you dont get many hits or comments, usually. But usding the Cesc shenanigans is low, even for you mate!
Evra got a raw deal….get over it! We did when half our team were banned for the hand bags at OT a few seasons back.
hahaha!! You arsenal fans seriously need to calm down! Scott wasn’t having a go at you, but rather the incompetent FA and their inadequate and unfair punishments. If you don’t like the blog why the f*** are you even here? go and criticize united and their fans in your beloved arsenal blog! It’s a bit pointless coming here don’t you think? or at least get a job!!
gunners88 i don’t have a problem with Arsenal fans coming here.I wish it was more often and to discuss football.Just to let you know that United topics from other teams’ blogs appear in Man United newsnow as well.I have never gone to see what it’s about.I don’t want to wast my breath if people can’t change their minds.That being said, this topic for me isn’t that big a deal.The FA will keep having separate rules for United and the rest.I have lived with that.Sure we get our favoritism as well, but there have been some outrageous injustices.
yeah as a man, i would have to agree with Gooner77, a frequent visitor here on “Personally I think it is a case of idiotic bureaucracy and imcompetance from the old boys club that is the FA”.
The FA is a total idiot, they cant even manage the pitch of wembley..
A pitch…………………….
Disciplinary cases?
They’ve got some wealthy “Sirs” and “Lords” and “Sirs and Lords wannabes” who only care about their own wallets.
The FA is a disgrace. An insult to football.
Are you saying that because Evra was punished on no evidence, Fabregas should be too? By your reasoning I could claim you punched me in the face and even though I have no evidence you should be punished because as they got it wrong with Evra they should be fair and get it wrong with everyone else too? Believe it or not, not everything in this world i measured against events surrounding Manchester United, this is a completely seperate incident and has nothing whatsoever to do with your club.
And to those muppets saying the Daily Star report over the Ballack thing is bollocks because it appears in the Star, use your tiny little brains and notice that the story has real genuine quotes from Bayern Munich. It is not like the Star’s usual reporting where they make up a story with no substance. I doesn’t matter which paper is reporting them, those quotes still came from Bayern and they still prove Cesc did NOT spit at Ballack.
The FA are simply incompetent….there is no anti man u or pro arsenal bias. (anyone remember Vieira getting a 3 match ban for abusing Mike Riley, despite it being categorically proved by video evidence, lingusists and even a consultant lip reader that the referee lied in his report and Vieira didn’t say anything of the sort). The fact is, that its a self serving outdated organisation mostly run by reactionary little Englanders who have to be seen to do something to get themselves off the hook. If the evra and fabregas stories don’t make the papers due to deliberate smear campaigns, neither gets banned. This is a country where rio gets banned for 8 months for maybe having had a puff, and keane gets quarter of the time for deliberately ending haaland’s career? WTF?
Basically, if the two players in question played for England, that’d be the end of it unless there was definite video proof. And even that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. A few years ago, when Man u arsenal games were filled with hatred, I remember RVN stamping on ashley cole and punching ljungberg in the stomach, but the press didn’t pick up on it because arsenal won, and no one ever mentioned it again!
Last word about Evra…it was chelsea…money talks….
Oh and I think you’ll probably beat us in the champions league, but I wish both teams were full strength as it would be 2 amazing games. Now we know why old sir red nose sold silvestre to arsenal and not everton…he saw this coming!
Also as an outsider I’m fascinated by Mike Riley slow shift in loyalties. 4 or 5 years ago, you could fart at OT with him in charge and it’d be a utd penalty (if the fart led to RVN falling over!), and he even described reffing the game when you won the title as being one of the best moments of his life. Now he seems to have fallen out with all things OT, and is even slightly anti utd amongst his general level of weak chinned incompetence….
Although he’s an egotist I quite liked graham poll reffing games between us as he didn’t take any shit from anyone!
On a general point, Chelsea are the epitome of evil and i hope messi and co tear them a number of new orifices. Obviously what I really want is for the russian people to ask abramovic for their money back, the scumbag..
yeah money talks, now it’s Chelsea supporting FA to me. there was a time when FA was supporting Arsenal, and that was a long time ago, way before anybody would mention Chelsea in the same breath with MU, Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs.. but now it’s Chelsea really.
fa>cunts nuff said
I know you Manu supporters couldn’t be trying to put pressure on the FA to ban Fabregas, not with the CL semi’s and a EPL match against them coming up… after all, you wouldn’t want to miss seeing his skills would you ???
I suppose that one of the issues this blog raises is whether the writer should have any regard whatsoever for the truth or just ignore it altogether and make up a pile of stuff in order to illicit a response. With regard to the Ballack/Fabregas incident, you claim there is no evidence to support the fact that he did not spit yet you provide no evidence that he did, purely because it doesn’t support your rant. As I remember, when it was raised after the Hull game, Bayern were contacted by a prominent French football journalist who said that no-one had ever accused Fabregas of spitting because, if they had, an complaint would certainly have been lodged. I saw this story and also heard the journalist’s interview but no, I didn’t contact Bayer Munich myself so my opinion presumably carries only equal weight to yours. Now I know that, in this instance, this won’t impress you because you want to paint the Spaniard as a petulant, spiteful player in order to contrast him with the saintly Evra. Where is the evidence that Evra didn’t punch the Chelsea man? My recollection is that there was considerable testimony that he did punch him. If you, as you claim, have contrary evidence then please publish it. I think we’ll have a long wait for that.
geez the FA can’t ban him from the Ch.League games.I think so anyway.The only one they ever did that too was Rio.So no use in wanting him banned from League game that could be for nothing.
Take it easy lads. Scott, we shouldn’t start insinuating Fabregas. I think the video evidence bit was about “aggressive behaviour when he came on to the pitch at the final whistle” rather than the spitting incident. Though yeah every neutral person who saw the video knows he spat at Ballack (nothing wrong with spitting at fucking rentboys though) I don’t think we should judge him by what he did in his younger days.
The main point of this post is to bring up the injustice those bastards at the FA put us through and highlight the forthcoming inconsistency in their judgments. I doubt Scott was targeting the gooners or Fabregas.
The FA are wankers. If there’s any party who should come here to explain/defend themselves, its them cunts. Lets not start attacking each other’s clubs yeah?
this isn’t about arsenal or fabregas its about consistancy, or lack of. arsenal fans if you wanna know why we get wound up with the fa read scotts link to the evra banned page. then you might see why united fans get sick of the fa. plus fabregas wouldn’t be banned for european games so read the article before ya start whinging
In another 10 years we will still have the same complaints about the FA ! An old boys , secretary bonking club , with its head stuck firmly in the sand. Fabregas WTF who cares ??
the thing is hull have changed their story more times that phil brown uses the sunbed, first he spat on horton then he spat at his feet, then he spat on the pitch,then he spat on the tunnel,then phil brown and brian horton were the only witneses,then all 6 of the hull backroom staff were the only witnesses well now arsenal have the tunnel video which will show no spitting incident,he can dress how he wants, what should be explained is why horton is on cesc fabregases pitch,i like thi site but this subject is a bit cry babyish considering rio kicked a woman over and man united did break the rules by running across the penalty area in a warm down, and evra did get battered by a flower man
If the blogger really does his research, is he trying to tell us he never came across Bayen Munich’s response? Or did he conviniently ignored it because it would work against a good story? What about the irony that he mentions the presents of an arsenal season ticket holder in the fa displinary panel but does not say anything about the presents of David Gill, the mancs chairman on the even more powerful FA board?
when rio was banned was he banned from europe or would he have just lacked match fitness to play?
the FA cunts.cesc will surely escape without any ban
hull have forced the f.a’s hand by having everyone from the chairman to the turnstyle man to the tea lady to the tan bed delivery man all vouch publically for a lame like wreck man shitty horton and tan boy, i feel that if hill wood and all of the came out vouching for cesc then there wouldnt be an issue but we dont beg
I think the focus of the piece is to restate that the Evra sentence was reidiculous – I’m still outraged by it since it was so biased so I am completely behind you Scott for posting this.
Evra lost out on a month of football in his prime – he has struggled to quite get his fitness back since.
I think it looked bad for Arsenal’s image for him to come on the pitch in a hoodie but it shouldn’t be something the FA use as evidence for a possible ban.
Rooney has on occasion got away with being grumpy but he’s also been unfairly punished – for example he was sent off for throwing the ball back to a team mate in a hurried fashion
BTW – did anyone notice Fabrianski or whatever his name is kitck or punch the goalpost after conceding a goal against Liverpool?
I’ve not got a problem with that personally but there has been no mention on this but why was it a big deal for Rooney to punch the corner flag?
adebayor got a 4 game ban for punching lampard in the carling cup final because a linesman thought he saw it an it was put on the referees report, the tv footage and frank lampard combined proved adebayors innocence but the f.a just went with a blind linesman,thats the state of the f.a
lol rooney was goin mental not throwin the ball in a hurried fashion
From a gooner, must say this is one of the better sites…
Yeah, think we all agree, the FA’s job is difficult, but christ they are fucking crap, lets have a new FA consisting of only ex-players, maybe ex-managers as well, not jumped up old farts like we seem to have had forever.
look at poor little aliadiare when he gave mascherano a little slap,he should be cellebrated for such a thing as slapping that inbred,where was the action against the liverpool player?
the thing is the f.a dont ban the real offenders , they say there isnt anything worse than spitting but what about that newcastle player breaking that geezers leg earlier in the season, that was blatant, he got a 3 game ban, i know id rather get spat at, id rather have got spat at than martin taylored
Mate, you’re awfully wrong. There is evidence which SHOWS Cesc and Horton, some distance apart, in the tunnel and Arsenal are handing it over to the FA.
Um, you are forgetting about Rooney punching the flag, which by the rules of the game, should result in a longer suspension.
How does Mascherano get sent off for talking to the ref and rooney says “fuck” every other word and he doesn’t get a yellow?
he was going so “mental” he managed to accurately through the ball back to his team mate at the exact spot we were to take the free kick from 30 yards away – yeah he had really lost it!
If you think he was “goin mental” then what are your thoughts about Fabregas’ behaviour?
Kevin, you obviously do not know the rules. A keeper punching the post when he concedes a goal is normal.
Punching the flag in the qay Rooney did is not. And he wasn’t throwing the ball to a teammate. He was going effin mental.
Kevin, what Fabregas behavior?
There are 14 stories on the main page with a grand total of ONE having anything to do with Arsenal, so where on earth do they get the obsessed claims from??
HOW MANY HITS HAVE YOU GOT FOR YOUR BOSS NOW SO FAR SCOTT?
Thats funny then Pat, because the ball went directly to a teammate….
I think we all can agree, United and Gooner alike, that the refs and authorities are terrible. Betdner wasn’t offside, but they only showed the replay once. Fab didn’t appear to be offsides either, but they didn’t even bother showing that replay ONCE!!! And, Danny Welbeck was blatantly fouled by Jagielka in the box, but nothing was given.
Hey Pat – re. the rules, well I don’t think the rules say a keeper can punch a goalpost and I don’t care if it is “normal” (ie. relatively common) – since a lot of what we might call normal in football isn’t acceptable. If it is normal to punch a goalpost, why not a corner flag? Does a goalpost not have feelings too?
Re. “goin mental” – you have to admit he threw the ball back to where it was to be taken don’t you? What else did he do apart from that which was mental? Yes he looked hurried since we were trying to win a game of football and time was running out – normal?
Re. Fabregas’ behaviour, well the FA say he was acting in an aggressive manner on the pitch – following your logic then can I presume you think he was “goin mental” too?
Fabianski didn’t punch the goal post. He hit it with an open palm.
Rooney threw the ball where there were many players. Of course it “looks” as if was thrown to a teammate, but the teammate didn’t catch the ball, did he??
He went mental and everyone knows that he couldn’t control himself. Should have been sent off against Ukraine as well.
Kevin, “the FA say”.
Well, have you not read the news? Arsenal have footage of the tunnel and they’re giving it to the FA. Innocent, so I don’t know where you’re getting this from. Fabregas aggressive on the pitch? Go watch what happened on the pitch after the final whistle. Nothing. On the other hand, there is footage of Rooney losing it.
It went to right to Johhny Evans. He was trying to get on with a match his side were losing. The ref, who had been acting like a prick the entire match, called play back to move the position of a free kick back five yards, and Rooney threw it DIRECTLY to his teammate who was standing where the ref directed the foul to be taken. The ref, keeping to form of being a tit, harshly punished a player for being frustrated. After that, what footballer on earth wouldn’t be angry about getting sent off incorrectly when you were the best player on the pitch? He punched an inanimate fucking object for fucks sake. I don’t understand people making a big deal about this. Its not like he pushed the ref with two hands like Denilson did….
Cry me a river.If they really hated you do you think they would allow you all to play with a girl(yes,that is right, Tevez is a girl).And by the way how many times have Taggart brought the game in to disrepute without being charged………so dry your eyes Mancs……you are on your third title in a row.
Anyone see Denilson on the ref in the arse vs. chelsea? I think anyone else would have gotten a red card for that.
^^^^Wow how witty and original.