FA Write To Sommeil Over Van Persie Racism Allegations
May 6th, 2006 by Alan HylandsArsenal striker Robin Van Persie is in trouble with the authorities again after Manchester City defender David Sommeil reported him to match referee Graham Poll on the grounds of racist abuse.
Van Persie had started this season under the cloud of a rape allegation in his native Holland and had been arrested and investigated by the Dutch police over the allegations. These latest racist allegations came to light during the Arsenal - Manchester City game this week and prompted referee Poll to speak to representatives of both clubs at half time during the match.
The FA has now written to David Sommeil asking for his version of events as they try to get to the bottom of the incident and if Van Persie is found guilty he could face personal punishment as well as fines or points deductions for his club.
“We went to see Graham Poll at half-time and he informed us there had been an allegation of racial abuse,” confirmed City boss Stuart Pearce. “None of my players mentioned it to me at half-time or after the game but if someone does come and speak to me about it, it will be taken very seriously.”
Pearce added that it was the first time he has had to deal with a situation such as this but whether the matter is pursued or not depends on Sommeil’s willingness to take it further.
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May 6th, 2006 at 4:57 pm
?None of my players mentioned it to me at half-time or after the game ”
Does that tell you something? Sounds like a bunch of rubbish to me!
May 6th, 2006 at 6:24 pm
Certainly a strange comment from Pearce and just a little at odds with the referee’s report and what his own palyer has supposedly reported.
If the FA do investigate it and find that the claim is untrue, should they then charge Sommeil for bringing the game into disrepute with a false racism claim?
May 6th, 2006 at 8:01 pm
Amazingly, none of these articles point out that Sommeil made ths allegation followng a 3/4 times he had kicked VanPersie in a 5 mnute sequence. The last one was off the ball, and any lp reader could see on tv what was said. Sommeil did t to take the attention away from hs dirty play. It worked.