16 December 2020

Birmingham City head coach Carla Ward charged by FA over comments following Arsenal game

Birmingham City boss Carla Ward has been charged by the Football Association following comments she made after her side’s 3-0 defeat to Arsenal earlier this month. 

Views expressed by the 36 year-old in her post-match interview were deemed to ‘question the integrity of the match official and/or were personally offensive and/or bring the game into disrepute.'

Ward referred to her players having to ‘go down’ to win penalty decisions after several appeals were turned down by referee Cristiana Hattersley.

She said: "I asked whether my players had to go down. There were a couple where it looked like they had to go down.

"The fourth official said to me ‘Did you watch Match of the Day last night? Sadly you have to go down to get something’.

"I said 'Listen, I'm not going in there and telling my players to go down’.

"I asked very clearly at half-time, 'Do I have to ask my players to go down to get anything here today and jump around?' Because that's not how I like things.

"She [the referee] said she takes it on board. Did she?

"Arsenal are an exceptional side with unbelievable ability but we played against more than 11 today for sure."

City had held on for the majority of the game at Meadow Park on December 6, before the Gunners scored three goals, one of them a penalty.

Ward has until December 17 to respond.

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