The Football Association have fined Manchester United skipper Gary Neville ?5000 and warned him about his future conduct following his enthusiastic goal celebrations after United’s late winner against Liverpool in the Premiership last month.

Neville appeared at the FA disciplinary hearing via video link and was found guilty of improper conduct but wasn’t suspended and finds himself now free to captain Manchester United in the Carling Cup final against Wigan at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday.

The FA verdict did come as a disappoinment to United manager Sir Alex Ferguson who had felt that Gary Neville had done very little wrong despite the player racing 50 yards towards Liverpool fans at Old Trafford before clutching his shirt and kissing the United badge after Rio Ferdinand’s late headed goal.

His conduct has since been defended by both Rio Ferdinand and Alex Ferguson, who said: “Too much has been made of it.”

“What do we want our players to be? Cold fish who just walk back up the park and tie their boot laces on the half-way line, as everyone else is celebrating?”

Neville himself has expressed his own disappointment at the decision telling manutd.com,

“I am extremely disappointed with the decision, I believe it to be a poor decision, not only for me but for all footballers. Being a robot devoid of passion and spirit is obviously the way forward for the modern footballer. I ask the authorities where is football being taken to?”

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 21st, 2006 at 4:30 pm and is filed under Manchester United. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. Both comments and pings are currently closed.