<DIV class=entrytitle><DIV align=center>Dear Football Association </DIV></DIV><P class=posted>Article by Simon Hawes
One United fan was so incensed at the ban received by Wayne Rooney this week that he wrote to the FA...
Dear Sirs,
I want to register with you my total and utter disgust at the decision to uphold Wayne Rooney's three game ban after his recent dismissal in the Amsterdam tournament. Almost all pundits, journalists and fans agreed that there was no offence committed by Rooney let alone one worthy of a red card. It begs the question of why FA as an organisation would choose to alienate a young man who is unquestionably England's most talented and important player on? Why also, would you choose to disaffect Manchester United, the country's biggest club and biggest contributor of players to the England setup in recent years? Privately McClaren will not thank you for crucifying relations with his most important player at the very start of his new career.
How can you can claim impartiality when, having relieved yourselves of the Arsenal Vice Chairman as your own VC, you now boast a chief executive who is on record as having stated not only his love for Liverpool but also his hatred for "Man Utd and all things they stand for".
Compare and contrast. The FA bent over backwards to get UEFA's rules changed to allow Liverpool into the Champion's League when they did not reach the qualifying criteria. Yet, the organisation issued Rio Ferdinand with a ban for missing a drugs test that was longer in duration than the majority of players who actually fail these very same tests. Then Gary Neville, a loyal and talented servant and ambassador for our country's game at club and international level, received a fine for kissing the club crest on his shirt when celebrating a goal; a goal scored against Liverpool none-the-less. Yet how many times has Robbie Fowler gesticulated at United fans in reference to the number of European Cups Liverpool have won, but he continues to go unpunished?
How many times have we watched Jens Lehmann in Arsenal's goal commit acts of verbal and physical violence at the slightest provocation only to be "warned about his future conduct"? It seems increasingly clear with each passing incident that the referees and the governing body are judging decisions not on their merits, but instead by looking at the individual involved. Certain teams are there "to be made an example of" in your kangaroo courts. This is not justice, it is completely unacceptable.
Wayne Rooney has overstepped the mark at times in his career but against Porto, even when shown an unjust red card, he offered no reaction. This kind of self restraint shows that Rooney is keeping his end of the deal and surely the FA as a governing body should be expected to uphold their side too? The FA have warned Rooney about his future conduct and the player has attempted to take this on board in stark comparison to some players who continue to go unpunished. There has to be a corresponding effort from the governing body to recognise this, or rulings will be both meaningless and hypocritical.
Further, how can the ban have been interpreted in such a way as to make the players miss three competitive league matches? Logic must surely come into play; a ban picked up in a tournament should be served in the same tournament. Both players sat out the final match of the Amsterdam event - in not taking the suspensions already served into account the FA have effectively penalising Scholes and Rooney with four game bans.
Manchester United as a club and as individual players have given decades of service to the English game both at domestic and international levels. Indeed Old Trafford was the venue for this week's England international, as it was for the FA Cup semi-final last season when the visiting fans destroyed sections of the stadium. United do not ask, nor should they be offered anything mor
One United fan was so incensed at the ban received by Wayne Rooney this week that he wrote to the FA...
Dear Sirs,
I want to register with you my total and utter disgust at the decision to uphold Wayne Rooney's three game ban after his recent dismissal in the Amsterdam tournament. Almost all pundits, journalists and fans agreed that there was no offence committed by Rooney let alone one worthy of a red card. It begs the question of why FA as an organisation would choose to alienate a young man who is unquestionably England's most talented and important player on? Why also, would you choose to disaffect Manchester United, the country's biggest club and biggest contributor of players to the England setup in recent years? Privately McClaren will not thank you for crucifying relations with his most important player at the very start of his new career.
How can you can claim impartiality when, having relieved yourselves of the Arsenal Vice Chairman as your own VC, you now boast a chief executive who is on record as having stated not only his love for Liverpool but also his hatred for "Man Utd and all things they stand for".
Compare and contrast. The FA bent over backwards to get UEFA's rules changed to allow Liverpool into the Champion's League when they did not reach the qualifying criteria. Yet, the organisation issued Rio Ferdinand with a ban for missing a drugs test that was longer in duration than the majority of players who actually fail these very same tests. Then Gary Neville, a loyal and talented servant and ambassador for our country's game at club and international level, received a fine for kissing the club crest on his shirt when celebrating a goal; a goal scored against Liverpool none-the-less. Yet how many times has Robbie Fowler gesticulated at United fans in reference to the number of European Cups Liverpool have won, but he continues to go unpunished?
How many times have we watched Jens Lehmann in Arsenal's goal commit acts of verbal and physical violence at the slightest provocation only to be "warned about his future conduct"? It seems increasingly clear with each passing incident that the referees and the governing body are judging decisions not on their merits, but instead by looking at the individual involved. Certain teams are there "to be made an example of" in your kangaroo courts. This is not justice, it is completely unacceptable.
Wayne Rooney has overstepped the mark at times in his career but against Porto, even when shown an unjust red card, he offered no reaction. This kind of self restraint shows that Rooney is keeping his end of the deal and surely the FA as a governing body should be expected to uphold their side too? The FA have warned Rooney about his future conduct and the player has attempted to take this on board in stark comparison to some players who continue to go unpunished. There has to be a corresponding effort from the governing body to recognise this, or rulings will be both meaningless and hypocritical.
Further, how can the ban have been interpreted in such a way as to make the players miss three competitive league matches? Logic must surely come into play; a ban picked up in a tournament should be served in the same tournament. Both players sat out the final match of the Amsterdam event - in not taking the suspensions already served into account the FA have effectively penalising Scholes and Rooney with four game bans.
Manchester United as a club and as individual players have given decades of service to the English game both at domestic and international levels. Indeed Old Trafford was the venue for this week's England international, as it was for the FA Cup semi-final last season when the visiting fans destroyed sections of the stadium. United do not ask, nor should they be offered anything mor
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