PFA chief Gordon Taylor backs retrospective action

Professional Footballers' Association chief Gordon Taylor believes rules on retrospective action should be changed.

The Football Association will study the issue after the anger that followed the decision to take no action against Wigan's Callum McManaman for his tackle on Newcastle United's Massadio Haidara.

"We are not saying matches should be re-refereed on a Monday morning," said Taylor, the PFA's chief executive.

"But my feeling is there has got to be room to review such incidents."

Premier League chief Richard Scudamore has said the McManaman incident should have been regarded as "exceptional" which would allow retrospective action to be taken.

Taylor agrees, but wants to go further.

He said: "If there is a high-profile incident and the referee has not seen it and the referee's assistant has not seen it clearly then that should be dealt with.

"We could have a review panel made up of experienced people from within the game and it could also look at incidents of simulation, which I feel is another big problem in the game.

"If we are not careful we will get into areas of ambiguity and saying a dangerous tackle is 'not exceptional enough'.

"If there is any doubt for such incidents, for red cards that are being challenged and for simulation there is no reason why they shouldn't be looked at."

McManaman got a slight touch on the ball before following through and catching the defender on the knee and thigh during Wigan's 2-1 Premier League win over Newcastle on 17 March.

Haidara was taken off on a stretcher after the challenge and later said the FA needed to do more to protect players.

He told French newspaper Le Parisien: "This type of tackle cannot be condoned in football.

"You have to take all measures to ban these sorts of things from the game. It spoils the match. The authorities must take action."

The FA said it could not take action as its rules prevented action being taken retrospectively as one of the officials had seen the challenge.

But Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias described the FA's disciplinary process as "not fit for purpose" and Haidara admitted seeing the tackle go unpunished was difficult for him to accept.

He said: "He could have ended my career and ruined my whole life and he will play again before me. Ridiculous."