United Won't Appeal Evra Ban... But Point To FA Chelsea Inconsistencies

Today it was announced that Manchester United will not be appealing Patrice Evra’s four match ban, which was dished out to our player after he responded to the taunts of a member of Chelsea’s ground staff.

Chelsea were punished for not instructing their staff better, after Sam Bethell was found guilty of provoking the incident. The fact that Bethell was back at work just days after the incident, before any evidence had been heard, obviously worked against them.

Despite feeling as though a massive injustice has been done, United are taking the more sensible option of dropping the matter. At present, Evra will just miss our matches against Stoke, Derby, Southampton and Middlesbrough. An appeal might put the ban in to place later in the season, meaning he could miss the Chelsea game.

“We retain the view the suspension is extremely harsh,” said a United spokesperson. “But appealing it would prolong the process when the focus of the whole squad needs to be on matches, not bureaucracy. Patrice accepts the suspension but categorically denies hitting anyone. To serve a ban longer than one imposed for a career-threatening tackle or throwing an object into the crowd indicates the disciplinary commission made a very poor decision.”

Chelsea have got away with murder from the FA in comparison to punishments dished out to United, so it is right and proper for United to point out the massive failings within the FA’s judgement system. How can it possibly be deemed more acceptable to lob a coin in to a crowd of men, women and children in front of the live cameras of the World, than it is to respond to the insults of another man after a match with the only live images coming from CCTV?

I am pleased to see United taking the moral high ground in this situation and just getting on with it. Let’s be honest, the timing couldn’t be much better, considering he misses two cup games, and our press statement clearly shows the FA up as what they are. A bunch of time-wasting, United obsessed, pricks.