Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) chief executive
Gordon Taylor has questioned the Football Association's decision to
charge Wayne Rooney for swearing into a TV camera after his
hat-trick against West Ham.
Rooney was charged with using abusive language for the 'F-word'
that was caught on camera as he celebrated his hat-trick against
West Ham and has until 1800 BST on Tuesday to indicate whether he
will accept the charge - which would carry a two-match ban - or
appeal against it.
But, as he could miss out on the FA Cup tie with Manchester
City, he has been given the backing of the PFA.
''Whilst the use of foul and abusive language is not condoned,
there is an acceptance by all parties within the game that
'industrial language' is commonly used,'' Taylor said in a
statement on the PFA website. ''It becomes an issue when directed
towards match officials. However, when used in a spontaneous way in
celebration or frustration then it is not normally expected to
merit a sanction.
''If sanctions are to be imposed in such circumstances then this
has to be done in a balanced and consistent manner, and
participants made aware of this fundamental change in
approach.''
Meanwhile, deputy chief executive Bobby Barnes has told
ESPNsoccernet that Rooney needs to be understood, not
persecuted.
"I am not Wayne Rooney's apologist,'' Barnes told
ESPNsoccernet. "I am not condoning what he did, and of
course what he did is far from ideal as there are a lot of kids up
and down the country watching and players have
responsibilities.
"But you have to bear in mind what a horrible year this boy has
had. It is almost a year to the day that he was injured in Munich
and it has been an awful time for him, he has struggled on the
field and had a lot of issues off the field.
"Having gone through all of that ... this was a release of all
the pressure.''
Barnes maintained that a player like Rooney, who is constantly
in the spotlight, has to be given more leeway instead of being
punished and that a two-match ban is "disproportionate''.
"It is often misunderstood the sort of pressure a player like
Wayne Rooney is under,'' he said. ''It is always talked about the
money these type of players earn, but it is not about the money, it
is about not having the success, not living up to the extraordinary
high expectations, it is almost a fear of failure.
"That is why it was such a release of pressure, enormous
pressures on this young man's shoulders over a whole year.
Obviously it was not an ideal way to react, but while I would never
condone it, I can understand it, and a two-match ban is totally
disproportionate.
"It is unprecedented that the FA has taken action after a player
has said something into a TV camera. This is totally different to
what Didier Drogba did in the Champions League. He followed the
referee, and was sorry for his actions afterwards.
"Wayne has not been disrespectful to any official or opponent,
and I feel there has been a lot of discussion about what might
happen next season. But the game needs to set parameters so
everyone knows where they stand: for example, if you take your
shirt off, you know you will be booked.
"There is no precedent for this, and Rooney needs to be treated
differently. I would suggest a severe reprimand and suspended
sentence, but surely not a two-game ban when he was clearly not
intending to cause offense and apologised immediately
afterwards.
"No one is saying what he did was right, I am not, but let's
give Wayne Rooney a little bit of understanding.''
