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Stoke’s Pulis slapped with £10,000 for ref comments

Comment: 0 November 22nd, 2011 by: admin

A WHOPPING £10,000 fine has been handed by the FA to Stoke City manager Tony Pulis for publicly criticising referee Lee Probert after the club’s Carling Cup match against Liverpool.

The penalty was for a charge of improper conduct handed to Pulis after questioning a number of Probert’s official decisions during the match, which Stoke lost 1-2.

‘Stoke City manager Tony Pulis has today been fined £10,000 by the FA and warned as to his future conduct after being charged in respect of media comments which were found by an independent regulatory commission to have constituted improper conduct,’ read the FA statement.

The incident that led to the charge involved Pulis expressing his anger and discontent with the results of the match.

One of Pulis’ complains was Probert’s decision to overlook a challenge by Jamie Carragher to Matthew Etherington.

‘It was a poor challenge [from Carragher],’ Pulis said.  ‘If one of our players had committed it, I would have expected him to get sent off.’

The manager continued, criticising a number of Probert’s decisions including a lack of a penalty for a foul on Peter Crouch.

‘The referee had a great view of [the Crouch penalty appeal] and didn’t give it, and that’s disappointing,’ said Pulis, as quoted on Goal.com.

The manager also called out the referee’s decision to disallow a goal made by Jon Walters.

‘You have to have a level playing field – you can’t have it both ways, and [Probert] has done that in my opinion.

According to reports, what was believed to have eventually led to the charge were Pulis’ continuing statements enumerating other Stoke matches during which he believed Probert had also exhibited poor refereeing.

‘We have had Lee a few times now and had three goals disallowed,’ Pulis told BBC.  ‘One at Aston Villa a couple of years ago, a great goal by Tuncay against Everton last y ear, and tonight it was a perfectly good goal.

‘You will have to ask Lee why [he decided to wave off the goal] because we don’t know.’

Updated reports state that Pulis has been informed of the FA’s decision; the manager is thinking of appealing the body’s decision.

‘I’m very disappointed by the outcome,’ said Pulis, who had reportedly attended a personal hearing.  ‘I have requested written reasons and am considering an appeal.’

Currently at 14^th place in the English Premier League table, Stoke have so far earned only 3 wins, 4 draws and 5 defeats in their 12 matches this season.

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