Duo hit by FA charges
Manchester City defender Michael Ball and Fulham’s Michael Brown have both been charged with violent conduct by the Football Association following incidents in their respective Barclays Premiership matches last weekend.
Ball’s charge relates to an alleged stamping incident involving Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo in the first minute of the Manchester derby at Eastlands.
Brown has been accused of aiming a head-butt at Liverpool’s Xabi Alonso during Fulham’s 1-0 victory over the Reds at Craven Cottage.
Both players have until 6pm on Wednesday to respond to the charges, which carry an automatic three-match suspension. Under the FA’s fast-track procedure, the cases will be heard by a disciplinary commission on Thursday.
Both Ball and Brown have avoided the more serious charge of serious conduct, which was brought against City defender Ben Thatcher for his elbow on Pedro Mendes last year, and resulted in an eight-month ban.
Ball’s part in the incident involving Ronaldo brought scathing criticism from United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who insisted: “I could not believe it. I don’t know what got into him.
“It was the first minute of the game. I don’t know if it was instructions, or he was hyped up. It was incredible.”
Meanwhile, Brown’s challenge on Alonso left the Spaniard nursing a bloody nose and prompted an angry response from Reds boss Rafael Benitez, who said: “It was clear and everybody saw it.”
