The Football Association announced today that it has decided to suspend Wayne Rooney for two matches following his expletive laden celebration caught on live television after celebrating the third goal of his vital hat trick against West Ham United at the weekend.
The following is the statement released by the FA at the close of business:
“The FA has today charged Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney for the use of offensive, insulting and/or abusive language relating to an incident during his side’s fixture with West Ham United. Rooney has until 6pm on April 5 to respond to the charge.”
The ban is ultimately unsurprising. I expected the FA to look for a reason to suspend Rooney after it got roasted by the media for failing to ban him for his elbow against Wigan February 26. Then Rooney managed to somehow be caught on camera saying a naughty word and presto! The FA had their makeup suspension opportunity, and they took it with the relish that an out of form striker scores a tap in.
If this is any other player, I doubt it becomes as big of a deal as it has. If this is any other team, I doubt the FA puts their foot down. Other players have committed far graver acts of disrespect on the football pitch and off it, for which they never get suspended. John Terry shagged a teammate’s wife, which was enough for Fabio Capello to strip him of the arm band but he did not receive any suspension from the FA. Steven Gerrard punches a DJ in a club and receives no ban. Gerrard even punches someone on the pitch and receives no sanction. Ashley Cole shoots a visiting fan with an air soft pistol on the Chelsea training ground and was not banned.
Additionally, the idea that now the FA can use technology to dole out punishments to players is bang out of order. It seems with frightening regularity that the FA uses hindsight aided by technology to suspend United players. Rio Ferdinand was punished in such a way after he appeared to punch a Hull City player last season. Video technology was not used against David Luiz when it was apparent to everyone watching the match at Stamford Bridge in March that he deserved to be awarded a second yellow card and be suspended for the next Chelsea match.
The manner in which the Football Association treats United players is worthy of remark not just by we biased United supporters, but also by people who call themselves football fans. But since United were named the most hated corporation, worse than McDonalds, no one else will rise to our defence. I expect that Sir Alex will use this as further motivation for the squad, to instill the message of us against the world. Even the Football Association does not want to see United win silverware this season by suspending Rooney for the FA Cup Semi and holding his appeal (if United do appeal) on Wednesday, the same day that United play Chelsea in the Champions League Quarterfinal.
Wayne Rooney got banned because he’s Wayne Rooney. I do not think England and the FA have forgiven him for not singlehandedly winning his country a World Cup in 2006, failing to qualify for Euro 2008 and losing in such an embarrassing manner to Germany in the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup last summer. A player that ought to be treated with reverence if anything as one of the most talented footballers to ever don the England shirt is instead treated horribly by his home country’s governing body.
The hypocrisy of the Football Association is asinine. It is beyond egregious. And it is absolutely beyond being worthy of our respect. I did not write this out of bitterness, but out of respect for the game I love. I cannot stand the idea that a governing body can simply administer ‘justice’ when it sees fit. Maybe it’s the American in me, but I believe ardently in equal application of the law. And far too many times the Football Association has violated it.
What fucking what indeed.
DiCanio was accused he wasn’t done for anything,
He is also a Gent unlike Rooney who is a brat
calm down guys man u beat west ham on saturday because they have better players simples. but surely even red tinted glass wearing man u fans must realise the top sides get the rub of the green on decisions 9 times out of ten. and ferguson continually putting pressure on officials helps you get more than your fair share of blind eyes turned. Football and especially the smaller clubs would benefit greatly from the introduction of the use of tv replays to iron out the blatent mistakes, but as this will probably cost the the likes of man u ,chelsea and arsenal about ten points a season i cant see it ever happening. oh and rooney is a fantastic footballer who is unfortunatley the kind of pond life who if he couldnt kick a ball would no doubt be terrorising the residents of which ever estate he lived. well done the fa for finally having the balls to stand up for the decent majority who are sick of footballers spoilt behaviour. Rooney didnt just swear on a football pitch (totally understandable) he sought out a LIVE tv camera and screamed abuse into it. Enough is enough
Regardless of the player and who he played for, such an act should be punished and in my opinion 2 games isnt enough. If left unpunished it leaves the gates open for any player to follow suit and set an equally bad example to youngsters watching the game. Can you imagine the likes of Geoff Hurst or Bobby Charlton performing a similar stunt ? NEVER
Big Dave I agree with you mate and what he did was stupid and would not be done by the likes you have mentioned but it is besides the point.
The modern game is rife with swearing and unacceptable behaviour but there has been no previous sanctions. In every game every wekeend the TV camera’s constantly pick up players swearing in particular at refs.
If the FA didnt like it then prior to this instance they should say anyone swearing during a game will be banned for two games! The likes of Bellamy, Terry, Gerrard, Carragher, Rooney are always swearing at refs. Just because Rooney was more audible he should be made an example of?
Chris, use ur brains u silly fuck! Swearing is normal and almost every player swears on tv cams! ManU we are the best and fuck it if u hate that! Fuck the FA also… keep banning man u players! Fuck YOU
when you watch rooneys vile tirade or read mtatamanutd doesn’t it make you proud to be british….
RE – Rooney vile tirade doesn’t make me proud nor does it make me feel ashamed. I think people treating this like an isolated case are very naive. This happens in the game at every level from a local park pitch right the way through to the world cup final more evident this last summer than ever before!
The FA can make an example of Rooney as they can pass it off as a punishable offence which it was. Was it a two game ban though considering no other player / Manager has been sanctioned for the similar offences?
Has anyone see the way Holloway talks to the fourt official, unfortunately that is rightly or wrongly part of the game.
If this is deemed a punishable offence moving forward the FA should have done this better than making an example of one player. They should be ashamed of themselves.
Im sorry but to try and condone this by saying people swear all the time is somewhat missing the point. Rooney a multi millionaire footballer due to television income sought out a LIVE tv camera and screamed his abuse into it. this was not swearing overheard in the heat of the moment it was abuse aimed at the watching tv audience, surely even man utd supporters can see that this cant be tolerated.