Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock has been charged with improper conduct over his post-match comments following his side’s controversial Sky Bet Championship defeat at Swansea.
Boro, who had earlier seen a Marc Bola strike ruled out, lost 2-1 at the Liberty Stadium on March 6 after Andre Ayew converted a penalty in the seventh minute of stoppage time, his side’s second decisive last-gasp spot-kick in four days.
Warnock later joked that Swans head coach Steve Cooper must be benefiting from the fact his father Keith was a former match official, and also predicted he would receive another apology from referees’ chief Alan Wiley.
A Football Association statement read: “Neil Warnock has been charged with a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to Middlesbrough’s match against Swansea in the Championship on Saturday, March 6.
“It is alleged that comments made by the manager during a post-match interview constitute improper conduct as they questioned the integrity of the match official and/or implied bias and/or were personally offensive and/or bring the game into disrepute contrary to FA Rule E3.1.
“Neil Warnock has until March 22 to provide a response to this charge.”
Speaking after the game, 72-year-old Warnock was less than impressed with referee Gavin Ward’s penalty decision.
He said: “They can’t keep having that much luck with penalties. I don’t know if it’s Cooper’s dad who’s influencing this.
“He must have all the numbers. It’s the only thing I can think of but, joking apart, they can’t keep having decisions like that.”
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