I sense a "We do Mario, and let Lescott off - and you do not appeal the ban" type of thing

yeah, that makes sense.

The FA wouldnt want to charge a English player would they?
Of course not.
But a Italian or player from Urugary, lets load the gun and shoot the UnEnglish buggers lads...

The Lescott elbow is disgusting, how both he, and Rooney last year, have gotten away with it is appalling.

I didn't realise but the FA are due to issue proposals to modernise their disciplinary (and other) systems soon - they must reply to the government by the end of Feb

Dear Mr ******,
Thank you for your email to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport enclosing correspondence from the FA regarding the on-going governance reform process. I am replying on behalf of the Department.

The Department is pleased with the responses it has received from members of the House, the media, and the wider public at large at the Government’s response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee football governance Inquiry. The Department recognise there are issues and related concerns over the FA’s dual role in handling disciplinary matters. In our response to the Select Committee report into football governance we recommended significant reform of the FA’s Board and Council; the introduction of a club licensing system where financial sustainability and robust checks on club owners and directors is included, and for greater supporter representation at football clubs. We have also recommended that the FA considers a review of the disciplinary process that currently operates within football.

At the moment the policy-making, charging and decision-making all sit with the FA. However, we believe there is a good case for this to be modernised with the FA continuing to set the rules and regulation in consultation with all those with an interest, but the charging and decision-making process handled outside of the FA, by an accountable, but independent and separate organisation. We believe this would provide more clarity and enable the football authorities to address disciplinary matters fairly.

The authorities have until the end of February to inform the public about their proposals to make these improvements that will benefit the long-term interests of grassroots football, professional clubs and the national team.

The Department continue to meet with the football authorities to hear what progress they are making. It is our belief that it is for the football authorities to determine the best way of achieving the right changes, but Government will be a key partner in those discussions.

Thank you once again for taking the time to write to the Department.

Yours sincerely,
Charles Tetteh
Ministerial Support Unit

From a blog about the Suarez issue which I hope I am not dragging up again!

http://thetroublewithfootball.blogspot. ... ocess.html

The FA are a joke ! I also think players have got to start thinking a bit more ( before they go on the pitch & during a match ) & show more responsibility. ( managers too ! ) I know things happen in a split second, but all these incidents have got to stop.
Regards the FA, you can't punish one and not the other, so they need to look at what they're doing too.

howard webb looked at the replays of both incidents.

if he had seen the balotelli stamp, he said he would have sent him off.

if he had seen the lescott elbow, he said he would have given him a yellow.

that's why the FA have charged balotelli and not lescott - they can't charge lescott under their own rules.

(what you think about those rules, or of webb's judgement of the two incidents is another matter! )

Webb's judgement is shocking!

The FA are at severe risk of being perceived as racist / xenophobic with all the foreign players getting charged while English* players get off (Suarez v Terry on racism, Balotelli v Crouch/Lescott this last weekend). I know there are arguments for each individual case (e.g. as described by workie-ticket above) but overall that perception is rising.

(* Ramsey also got off with a snidey elbow in Rooney's back at the weekend so maybe we should say the British get off)

City have some spare forwards, but not CB's

Nothing but a conspiracy theory. Home nations players get punished just as much as foreign players, it just so happens that at this moment in time it is the foreigners who are committing the crimes.

Looks like its a 4 match ban starting tonight as City decided not to appeal....

As predicted

Lescott and Rooney elbows not a crime then eh?
or even Johnsons 2 footed challenge compared to Kompanys?

So you're not in the Kop tonight, Achiles74?

That's exactly how I see it, murf! It's getting more absurd almost every day!

selten so gelacht........

A kind of racism too, for me anyway.....

Where is Joey Barton from

Arshavin, Mertesacker, just to name a few.......... not because of the same reason.......

Joey still 1 in 10.....