David Gill has today spoken about the FA’s treatment of Manchester United last season, claiming that they singled us out for harsher punishments because we’re the country’s biggest club.
Wayne Rooney was given a two match ban for swearing at the camera, despite the laws of football making no distinction between any sort of swearing. Law 12 states that abusive language warrants a red card, yet Rooney is the only player to have been given a three match ban for this season for breaking this law, despite the countless examples of players directing their abusive language towards match officials.
After Martin Atkinson yet again made disgraceful decisions to cost United all three points in a game between us and Chelsea, it was Sir Alex who was punished for criticising these decisions, not the referee for making them.
With other clubs players and managers getting away with exactly the same or similar behaviours, Gill rightly claims that United have been made an example of by the FA.
“I do genuinely believe there have been some poorish decisions that, in my opinion, wouldn’t necessarily have hit other clubs,” he said. “That’s not to say I’m condoning Wayne’s comments, because I don’t think they were correct, or what Sir Alex said because it wasn’t helpful. At the same time, the actual punishments were harsh. We’re possibly being caught up in being one of the biggest clubs and the ‘Respect’ agenda being there. What better way to demonstrate the authorities are being tough than by hitting one of the biggest clubs the hardest?”
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