Double jeopardy for players as FA willing to work with police

THE English Football Association yesterday indicated their willingness to work alongside the police in serious cases, although they stressed these are extremely isolated.

The Crown Prosecution Service’s ‘Crime In Sport’ conference took place yesterday at Covent Garden in London, with violence between professionals and the possibility of criminal charges being brought for on-field misdemeanours set to dominate the agenda. While happy to co-operate in the rare cases of serious misconduct, the FA also pointed out they have an existing disciplinary structure of their own which cracks down on any offenders.

An FA spokesman said: “We have rules and regulations within the disciplinary system to deal with on-field offences but, in certain cases, we work closely with the police if they are pursuing inquiries.”