Liverpool’s Babel accepts FA charge

Liverpool’s Ryan Babel admitted to a charge of improper conduct yesterday after posting a mocked-up Twitter photo of referee Howard Webb wearing a Manchester United shirt after the Reds’ FA Cup defeat by their bitter rivals last weekend.

Babel – the first player to be charged by the FA for images and comments posted on the social networking site – has requested a personal hearing that will take place on January 17. The picture appeared on the Dutch forward’s official page on Twitter just hours after United beat Liverpool 1-0 in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday – a match refereed by Webb.

Webb, who refereed last year’s World Cup final, angered Liverpool by awarding United a first-minute penalty from which Ryan Giggs scored before sending-off Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard.

As well as the photo, Babel wrote: “And they call him one of the best referees? That’s a joke. SMH (shaking my head).”

The 24-year-old Dutchman subsequently apologised to Webb, saying: “My apology if they (Babel’s Twitter ‘followers’) take my posted pic seriously. This is just an emotional reaction after losing an important game.

“Sorry Howard Webb.”

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish, for whom the United match was the first game of his second spell in charge of the club, said the FA had over-reacted.

“I think it is only a bit of fun, a joke. Maybe I’ve been out of the game too long,” said Dalglish.

Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers Association (PFA), also said the FA’s response lacked a sense of proportion.

“I thought a warning letter would suffice,” he said on Tuesday.

“But it may be they need to put a marker down for the future because these sites are being accessed by the media so it can be the equivalent of being on the television or being in the national press.

“But I felt the fact that an apology had been made (would mean) we could move on.”