So both Newcastle United and Sunderland face FA disciplinary charges over the tempestuous Tyne-Wear derby. It was the sort of announcement that ought to have had the United manager Alan Pardew quaking in his boots about the likely nature of action against him personally.
First, the charges that have been brought.
Every player on the pitch with the exception of Simon Mignolet was drawn into something akin to a standoff between rival mobs after James McClean’s tackle on Danny Simpson, almost as bad a challenge as the one Simpson had just got away with.
There was pushing and pointing and, heaven forbid, even a spot of physical contact. It was a moderately ugly scene.
But was it more ugly than the touchline conduct of Pardew which even he conceded “looks terrible”? It looked terrible because it was.
The aggression he showed towards Martin O’Neill, if transferred to the field of play, was as close to a red card offence as you are likely to get without being sent off. Since it was, unbelievably, Pardew’s reaction to his side being granted a penalty, it was also a rough equivalent of what some Arsenal fans did some years ago: win the FA Cup and then have a riot
The memory of that snarling middle-aged man advancing on the Sunderland manager as if intent on committing GBH makes Sessegnon’s mild backwards swipe at Tioté seem insignificant. And yet Sessegnon was, as just about every Sunderland supporter who has commented here agrees, rightly dismissed. By the by, Tioté, no great admirer of the Corinthian spirit, should have been shown yellow for his grotestque play-acting. At one point the home crowd must have feared he had suffered a stroke or been shot from the away end (albeit unlikely given how far from the pitch that is); it could surely be interpreted as seriously ungentlemanly conduct.
And Pardew? No sanction at all. Sess begins his automatic three-match suspension, Cattermole retreats from meaningful action for four games as a result of his own deplorable behaviour and the two clubs face fines for failing to control their players.
The Newcastle manager must be wondering whether, with his luck in to such an extent, this might be a good time to buy a ticket or two for the Euromillions.
And yes, we are talking about the same Alan Pardew who effectively accused Sunderland of going into the match with a plan to bully the elegant artists of United…
As O’Neill has summed it up:
“The half-time stats are a total contradiction to what their manager said. They’ve twice the number of bookings we have, and twice as many fouls. You think you’ve watched the game, given a reasonable analysis, and then you hear the opposition manager saying that Sunderland had a game plan to upset them, to unnerve them, to basically – and he used the word ‘ugly’ – attempt to kick them off the pitch.
“It’s not a case of taking the moral high ground, but putting across what I felt during the course of the game was almost entirely the opposite of what their manager was saying.”
Both teams are from the north, therefore guilty.
What really happened was that Pardew was in the assistant referees face and telling him that if he wanted a good deal on trackie bottoms and trainers he should get himself to the nearest Sports Direct shop, mention his (Pardew’s)name and he would get an extra 80% off. Martin O’Neill heard this and was furious and told the assistant that he would get a far better deal and classier goods at JD Sports.
Then it all kicked off.
I blame Mike Ashley – most black and whites do.
If you can’t raise your hands to an opponent how come Krul wasn’t sent off?
…and Simpson in the same incident
And Tiote who elbowed Gardner and jabbed Cattermole in the face! Evidence here: http://www.twitvid.com/6VG9K
It’s amazing how Tiote managed to stay on the field, it really is. Not to mention their second goal was offside (Ba…yes he was interfering with play). The linesman quite clearly bottled it.
What was really odd was Pardew’s suggestion that Sunderland had tried to rough up Newcastle when in fact the direct opposite was true. This was even more bizarre as Newcastle played like Stoke all game, hoof football, little creativity and very little threat. It’s a shame we didn’t have 11 men on the field as I feel a win was a certainty.
Where is was sat, the whole touchline incident started first half. Alan Pardew was having a go at the 4th official and Martin o’Niell went over and started pointing at Pardew making gestures with his hand to stop talking to the 4th official. Pardew then shouted something back. Martin o’Niell started it all off then after that everything went to pot. Not slagging anything or anyone off, just stating what i saw. It was just after the incident of the teams having a go at each other when simpson got a card for his involvement and Pardew was asking why when he was the one fouled.
Pardew was trying to influence the officials throughout the game (and at half time it seems). Very little has been said about Newcastle’s coach that was sent off in the tunnel, why is that? Funny isn’t it?
Newcastle cheated throughout the game and managed to pull the wool over the referee’s eyes. Pardew was trying to gain every little advanatage he could by whatever means necessary.
Now their sheep-like fans are hanging on his every word and by shouting louder they are manipulating the media into thinking we’re the bad ones in all of this. They really are something else.
I’m just thankful we have websites like salutsunderland who can tell our side of the story, and tell it right.
True Faith and Newcastle-mad are an embarrassment, they shouldn’t be allowed to publish stories as their publications are filled with personal insults. Mainly due to them finding it difficult to get their points across.
Boo hoo hoo!
during last night’s fans’ forum on Radio N’le, Pat the lady mag asked O’Neill to remember his antics when managiing Leicester against the mags. Apparently, in the days before technical areas, he had the temerity to “run along the line and jump up and down” – and she reckoned this comparable to screamiing in your opposing manager’s face and shaking a clenched fist at him. Just passion in both instances, she said.
Strange interpretations some people have of passion and how it shoudl be displayed by professionals
They take the word deluded to new levels, our neighbours do. Didn’t you know running on the pitch when celebrating a goal with your own players is the same as running on the pitch trying to get a game abondones when you’re losing?