FA charge Cardiff, Birmingham over player brawl

Cardiff and Birmingham have been charged with failing to control their players during last Saturday’s league game, the Football Association has announced.

Both sides ended an ill-tempered match with 10 men and a mass melee was sparked in stoppage time when Birmingham defender Harlee Dean was adjudged to have elbowed Cardiff’s Joe Ralls.

Dean was shown a straight red card at the Cardiff City Stadium by referee Andy Madley, who had earlier dismissed home forward Danny Ward for his challenge on Kerim Mrabti.

Birmingham announced on Wednesday that their appeal against Dean’s dismissal has been rejected by an independent FA regulatory commission.

An FA statement read: “Cardiff City and Birmingham City have been charged with a breach of FA Rule E20 following their Championship fixture on Saturday 2 November 2019.

“It is alleged that both clubs failed to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion during the 93rd minute of the game. They have until Friday 8 November 2019 to provide their responses.”

Ralls’ hat-trick, which included two penalties, helped Cardiff to a 4-2 win and lifted them to within one point and two places of Birmingham, who are 12th in the table.

Birmingham based their appeal against Dean’s dismissal on their claim the defender’s challenge “did not seem malicious”, the club told their official website.

“Blues mounted an appeal, but the red card was not rescinded. The commission decided it could not be proven that the referee made a ‘clear and obvious’ error,” Birmingham said.

“The Blues captain now sits out games against Fulham (home, Saturday) and trips to Huddersfield Town (23 November) and Sheffield Wednesday (27 November).”