Fowler Faces Rap With Le Saux Over Incident
March 3, 1999 - 0:0
LONDON Liverpool's Robbie Fowler faces a possible misconduct charge after allegations on Tuesday that he provoked fellow England international Graeme le Saux with homosexual taunts during a Premier League match. The English Football Association (FA) confirmed it had requested a videotape of Saturday's Chelsea-Liverpool match during which defender Le Saux knocked Fowler to the ground. Television cameras caught Le Saux felling striker Fowler but referee Paul Durkin missed the incident.
The television pictures are pretty damning, Durkin said later. The Chelsea player could face a four-match ban but newspapers said Chelsea would argue Fowler provoked Le Saux repeatedly with sexual gestures and taunts during the 2-1 Chelsea win. A Liverpool spokesman declined to comment on the reports. The Mirror newspaper said Chelsea planned to use photographs of Fowler taunting Le Saux as evidence in their player's defense.
An FA spokeswoman said neither player had been charged as yet. We've asked to look at the video, she said. It is the second time this season that Le Saux has come to blows with a Liverpool and England player. In October, he was told by former England coach Glenn Hoddle to calm down after he and Liverpool Captain Paul Ince had an altercation in the tunnel at Anfield after a 1-1 draw.
On Monday Liverpool Manager Gerard Houllier was charged by the FA with misconduct after a verbal attack on a referee following the match against Charlton last month. (Reuter)
The television pictures are pretty damning, Durkin said later. The Chelsea player could face a four-match ban but newspapers said Chelsea would argue Fowler provoked Le Saux repeatedly with sexual gestures and taunts during the 2-1 Chelsea win. A Liverpool spokesman declined to comment on the reports. The Mirror newspaper said Chelsea planned to use photographs of Fowler taunting Le Saux as evidence in their player's defense.
An FA spokeswoman said neither player had been charged as yet. We've asked to look at the video, she said. It is the second time this season that Le Saux has come to blows with a Liverpool and England player. In October, he was told by former England coach Glenn Hoddle to calm down after he and Liverpool Captain Paul Ince had an altercation in the tunnel at Anfield after a 1-1 draw.
On Monday Liverpool Manager Gerard Houllier was charged by the FA with misconduct after a verbal attack on a referee following the match against Charlton last month. (Reuter)