Battle of the Bridge: Evra Ban + Video DLoad
By dixon9
December 5 2008
The FA have given Manchester United defender Patrick Evra a four match ban and fined Chelsea Football Club £25,000 following what was dubbed “The Battle of the Bridge” after Chelsea’s match against Manchester United in last season’s Premier League match. The altercation occurred during a warm-down after the match. Chelsea groundsman Sam Bethell was also cleared of racism against Evra.
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Evra had previously admitted that he had struck Bethell on the head and that he went back and continued the row after it had been broken up. Chelsea Football Club also had the CCTV film to help their case.
Manchester United assistant boss Mike Phelan was apparently the man who claimed Bethell used racist language towards Evra.
The FA had already accepted they had no jurisdiction over club employee Bethell as he did not sign a contract with the FA when he was employed – therefore Chelsea Football Club received the fine for disorderly conduct in his place.
The four-game ban means Evra will miss the Premier League matches against Stoke on Boxing Day and Middlesbrough on December 29, the FA Cup third-round tie at Southampton on January 4, plus the first leg of United's Carling Cup semi-final.
To compound matters further for Evra, he was already banned from the December 21 match against Tottenham for five bookings so he will not have a competitive domestic match after Wednesday's Champions League clash with Aalborg until the Old Trafford league clash against Chelsea on January 11.
The verdict will no doubt leave Alex Ferguson fuming.
The FA statement in full:
The regulatory commission found a charge of improper conduct against Patrice Evra proved on all four elements of the charge.
The Commission found that his conduct during a warm-down session following the Chelsea v Manchester United, Premier League fixture on April 26 2008, was improper in that:
a) Mr Evra pushed the Chelsea head groundsman with his chest (as was admitted by Mr Evra)
b) He struck Mr Sam Bethell, a groundsman at Chelsea, on the side of his head
c) He subsequently, after the previous incident had begun to calm down, ran back to confront Mr Bethell again (as was also admitted by Mr Evra)
d) Then became involved in a further physical altercation with Mr Bethell.
The Commission considered this was an incident of violent behaviour by Mr Evra which was therefore punished by a suspension for four first team matches as from Monday, December 22 and imposed a fine of £15,000 on Mr Evra.
The Regulatory Commission found two charges against Chelsea both proved.
On the first charge the Commission found that during the course of the same incidents connected with the warm-down by Manchester United players, Chelsea employee Mr Sam Bethell, had conducted himself in a disorderly fashion and that his conduct and language had been abusive and provocative.
Charges against Mr Bethell had previously been dismissed on the ground that the FA had no jurisdiction over him personally.
Chelsea were charged because they failed in their responsibility to ensure that their employee Mr Bethell conducted himself in an orderly fashion and refrained from abusive and provocative conduct and language.
The commission fined Chelsea £25,000 on this charge.
An allegation that Mr Bethell had engaged in racist conduct or language was not proved. Accordingly, so far as the charge against Chelsea was based on its alleged responsibility for such racist conduct and language by Mr Bethell, the charge against the club was not proved.
A second charge against Chelsea of failure to specify in Mr Bethell's contract of employment by the club that Mr Bethell was directly under the disciplinary control of the FA was upheld but the commission did not find it appropriate to impose any penalty on that charge.
Mr Evra and Chelsea were each ordered to pay half the costs of the regulatory commission proceedings.
VIDEO DOWNLOAD (end only):
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=ea9aef79579b5326d2db6fb9a8902bda
No doubt the CCTV evidence made it difficult for them to do otherwise?!
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"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
LINK
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"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
Fergie shut your mouth LOL - coincidence he is in Japan.
Don't Gamble, Bet Risk Free
"Man Utd livid with verdict............
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.....but have decided NOT to appeal."
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"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
LINK
"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
Quote:carefree2008
I applaud the FA for once.
(UEFA are still kaaarnts though!)
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"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.