FA charge Keown with improper conduct

Arsenal’s Martin Keown has been charged with improper conduct by the Football Association following his spat with Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy in the game at Old Trafford earlier this month.

Keown was seen to push the Dutch international during the Gunners’ 2-0 defeat and although the incident was missed by match referee Dermot Gallagher, the FA requested a video tape of the match.

“The FA can confirm that Martin Keown has today been charged with improper conduct (breach of Rule E1) for an incident involving Manchester United’s Ruud van Nistelrooy in the match at Old Trafford on December 7,” said a statement on the FA’s website, www.thefa.com.

Keown has 14 days to respond to the charge.

The England defender apologised to his manager Arsene Wenger immediately after the match but explained there had been no malice in his shove on van Nistelrooy, which resulted in him falling theatrically to the floor.

“Ruud was standing on my foot so I just pushed him away with my hand in an attempt to free myself,” said Keown at the time.

“It certainly wasn’t malicious. My only intention was to get him off me.

“I have to say that I would be sorely disappointed if the FA take this matter further as I felt it was just a minor incident.”

Wenger defended Keown and said: “He has shown a big attitude in saying that he’s sorry.”

If Gallagher had seen the incident and not decided to take any action, then the FA would not have been able to use video evidence against Keown.

If found guilty, the Arsenal defender, who has only just returned after injury, could face a ban of up to three games.

Keown has faced FA disciplinary action in the past for clashes with Chris Sutton, then with Blackburn, and Leeds forward Mark Viduka.

Only last week Gunners striker Dennis Bergkamp was fined for improper conduct for placing a foot on the chest of Blackburn Rovers’ Swedish defender Nils-Eric Johansson during a Premiership match at Highbury on October 26 – again as a direct result of intervention by the FA’s video panel.

And the FA are also awaiting a reply from Arsenal’s England left-back Ashley Cole who was asked for his observations after being reported by referee Paul Durkin for using abusive language at the end of a match at Southampton last month in which fellow Gunner Sol Campbell was controversially sent off.