Double Standards ... Again?

Last Updated : 30-Apr-2007 by
As we reported a few weeks ago, listing the situations when the FA have "bent the rules" for the Mancs.

For example when they skipped the FA Cup one season to play in a competition in Brazil.

The rules state that ANY club that fails to play in the FA Cup - for whatever reason - must re-enter the competition at the qualifying stages the following year.

As it happens the FA sent out a statement "we will not expect Manchester United to qualify".

Now Wigan manager Paul Jewell believes the FA have set double standards by "letting West Ham off the hook when Watford would have lost points".

West Ham have escaped a points deduction over the Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano transfer affair.

The Hammers moved level on points with Wigan by beating the Latics 3-0 at the JJB Stadium on Saturday and could yet leapfrog Jewell's side and stay in the top flight.

Jewell claims the FA "bottled it": "If West Ham had been marooned like Watford are they would have been deducted points, and they could have done it without causing a fuss.

"They bottled it and they know they did. They were desperate for us to beat West Ham to right the injustice - because an insider told one of our men that.

"I'm convinced they decided not to take points off West Ham because if they had, they might have had to look at one or two other London clubs higher up the league."