Ben Haim did nothing wrong - Allardyce
Bolton boss Sam Allardyce believes Tal Ben Haim should have been spared a Football Association disciplinary charge following the Boxing Day defeat at Manchester United.
Allardyce will vigorously contest the decision to charge the 22-year-old with improper conduct for apparently over-reacting after being shoved in the face by Wayne Rooney.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson labelled Ben Haim’s actions “absolutely disgraceful” but Allardyce insisted it was Rooney – who has also been charged - who should face the FA’s wrath.
Allardyce said: “Ben Haim has not done anything wrong and he has not broken any rules.
“The rules say that you can’t put your hands up in somebody’s face no matter how small or how big.”
But Allardyce added that he believed the FA had every right to issue charges after reviewing video evidence of the incident.
And he called for another step towards instant video replays which he believes will help referees mete out instant justice in vital fixtures.
Allardyce added: “We are pushing more and more towards technology coming into the game and the FA cannot hide behind that.
“Fifteen to 30 seconds is all that is needed to get a more consistent overall view and make correct decisions for both sides. This will take an awful lot of pressure off the referee who has to make a split-second decision in a vital game.
“We will all benefit from that in the end. Anybody says we should not have cameras is, to me, an antiquated person in today’s modern game.”
