Mon 6 Mar 06
He started it!
Chelsea last night blamed Bryan Robson, the West Bromwich Albion manager, for the three Football Association charges they will face following Saturday’s fractious match at the Hawthorns. “He was insulting our players,” said a Chelsea spokesman.
The two misconduct offences to be included by Mark Halsey in his referee’s report are of failing to control their players, who surrounded Halsey at one point, and Jose Mourinho’s aggressive technical-area posturing. Chelsea are also likely to be hit with one unsporting behaviour charge after Mourinho’s players were late out for the second half.
Chelsea, though, argue that Robson goaded their players, an allegation sure to be dismissed by Soho Square. “We felt Bryan Robson set the tone for much of this from the first minute,” Chelsea’s director of communication, Simon Greenberg, said after a briefing from Mourinho.
“He was insulting our players and our bench virtually from the start. After 57 seconds, he was out of the dug-out accusing Damien Duff of diving and shouting at the referee. That general tone continued.”
Damian P.
