Ex-Fifa official cites ‘point deduction’ as controversial Anthony Gordon footage emerges from Everton
Everton and Crystal Palace should be charged by the FA for failing to control their players during the Blues’ 3-0 win at Goodison Park on Saturday (22 October), according to Keith Hackett.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Premier League referee accused both clubs of failing to control their players during the game.
As shown on the BBC’s Match of the Day programme, a mass confrontation was sparked after Wilfried Zaha’s challenge on Anthony Gordon.
Conor Coady and Seamus Coleman rushed into square up to Zaha as their teammate lay on the ground hurt.
Around a half of dozen players from both sides got involved before referee Simon Hooper showed Zaha a yellow card while Marc Guehi was also cautioned for an earlier challenge.
“Ultimately, at the end of the day, it was a mass confrontation of players and that is bad for the image of the game and bad for the image of the Premier League,” Hackett said after analysing the footage with football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“Therefore, both clubs should be charged for failing to control their players.
“The outcome of those charges are invariably are fines.
“In my day, the Premier League brought in a maximum fine of £250,000 for a mass confrontation. Although, they’ve never fined anybody £250,000.
“Going back to my days, I had the Man United-Arsenal game [in 1990], the battle of Old Trafford, and at that point they deducted points.
“Deducted points worked as a deterrent, it sent a massive message.”
The win for Everton ended a run of three consecutive defeats in the Premier League.
Frank Lampard’s side are up to 11th in the table, five points from the European places.
In other news, Everton are lining up a £150million Bramley-Moore naming rights deal.