EDM 141 - Andrew Turner MP Isle of Wight

Just got a letter from the Isle of Wight MP. He wrote to the Department for Culture Media and Sport on my behalf and has enclosed a letter directly from them, it says:

Thank you for your letter of 5 January to Andy Burnham enclosing correspondence from your constituent ............., regarding the incident that took place in the recent Coca Cola Championship fixture between Barnsley and Sheffield United on 8 November, between Chris Morgan and Iain Hume. I am replying as Minister for Sport.

I note Mr Harwood's comments on this issue, however, it is important to emphasise that sport should be autonomous and the Government should not be directly involved in these matters.

My officials have been in touch with the Football Association, which has issued the following statement:

'The FA has confirmed that no disciplinary action will be taken against Sheffield United defender Chris Morgan with relation to a challenge on Barnsley's Iain Hume.

Morgan was booked for the challenge during the match at Oakwell on 8 November. An FA spokesman said: "When judging whether to take disciplinary action in this case, the FA has had to consider the challenge itself and not the outcome of it.

'The FA has been given express direction from FIFA that we cannot upgrade yellow cards to red. On this basis, we can only bring additional charges in the most exceptional cases and only if it can be proved beyond doubt that the actions of a player were a deliberate attempt to injure an opponent.

"Having reviewed all the evidence in this case including submissions made by Barnsley, there is no basis on which an additional charge could be brought".

Mr Harwood may wish to contact the FA or the Football Supporters' Federation for further guidance.

That's it.

Fair play to Andrew Turner MP for following it up, but as suspected, it's been completely swept away now.

Has anyone tried FIFA?

 

"sport should be autonomous and the Government should not be directly involved in these matters"

I fully agree. Do you?

 

In general it should be but if a sports governing body is failing to protect its participants from being assaulted in the name of the sport then I think that the government at some level has so step in.

Surely protecting players from being elbowed in the head against the rules of a game are in a sense just as important as the government insisting that rock climbers wear safety harnesses etc.

 

I never thought for one minute that the Government could or should step in. I was hoping at the time that the sustained media coverage would embarrass the FA into having second thoughts or attract FIFA's attention who appear to hate the FA anyway.

I'm still shocked that they swept it aside and cannot think of any other reason not to enforce more action, other then a dodgy handshake between the FA and Sheff U.

 

In my opinion the chances of FIFA stepping in are somewhere between -1000 and zero. Were it not for FIFA then I'm sure the FA would have punished Morgan further. However, the FA were bowing down to a FIFA directive by not intervening in a decision that the referee has already made on the field of play.

 

disagree. The Fa were hiding behind the FIFA rule

That is the FIFA rule that the FA voted on in the first place.

They have already shown that they can change a referee's decision after a game and even stated that themselves during a phonecall between me and somebody at the FA's headquarters. They merely decided that the elbow didn't warrent changing to a red card

 

I understand the rule Jay, but I don't think technicalities should apply when GBH is involved. The FA have basically said it's FIFA's fault, if I was at FIFA I'd be protecting it's reputation as a responsible governing body and stepping in.

 

so the Morgan/Hume incident is now officially closed then is it, by officialdom. wellll

I wonder if Morgan feels safe in his home now. There are some stupid people out there liable to take matters into their own hands.

 

I've never known FIFA step in over individual cases like this.

The only chance for any justice to be done was for Andy D'Urso to view the incident on video and admit that it was much worse than he realised at the time. For whatever reason he didn't do that. I don't know why.

Of course, if Iain Hume's injury destroys his career then it will go to court. Let's hope for his sake that it doesn't come to that.

 

I've not seen any cases like this to be honest. Not where clear intent is so obvious, that most of us were just waiting for the FA to clarify the extent o of punishment and length of ban Morgan would get. I thought it was clear cut.

 

Load of rubbish.

It's pretty obvious that Hume was trying to head-butt Morgan.
Morgan was simply protecting himself.
With his elbow.

I think Morgan should sue Hume for assault with a deadly weapon (his ridiculously shaped head).

Chris Morgan is the hero in all this.
It brings a tear to the eye to see such a gentle giant be lambasted in this way.

I know which one I'd want to be in the trenches with, or summat.