Premier League chief Richard Scudamore joins 'exceptional' Callum McManaman tackle debate

Massadio Haidara has said he expected the Wigan player to be charged

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore has insisted that Wigan's Callum McManaman should have been charged by the Football Association for his horror tackle on Newcastle's Massadio Haidara.

The FA is allowed to take retrospective action for "exceptional" incidents - and Scudamore said the challenge should have been judged as just that.

The FA announced this week 21-year-old McManaman would not face action as one of the match officials had seen the incident, even if not the full extent of it.

Scudamore said: "I don't think anybody in the Premier League, perhaps bar Wigan, would have complained had they decided this was exceptional.

"That's where the Premier League is on this, I don't think the rules need changing, I don't think the line needs moving. If they have the ability to deal with an exceptional incident, it looked to most of us that was an exceptional incident.

"What we don't want is re-refereeing, everyone is agreed on that. I think the current system works and no one would have criticised the FA if they had decided that was exceptional."

The FA's rules limit retrospective action to off-the-ball incidents unseen by match officials unless they are exceptional circumstances and the governing body said this had been agreed with the leagues, the PFA and referees.

Scudamore insisted that no change to the rule was necessary but that the FA should have accepted that the McManaman tackle should be dealt with.

Speaking at the launch of 'Creating Chances' - the Premier League's annual report of its work in communities, he added: "I can understand why given what's happened this week the FA are looking for some cover and I don't blame for that.

"Yes there is a system that says there are some very clear guidelines that says under what circumstances they can effectively apply retrospective disciplinary action and like all guidelines and rules there is in their view a fixed line.

"But we live in a nuanced world, nothing is that precise, and my view is that currently they have the ability in exceptional circumstances to take retrospective action."

Haidara suffered knee ligament damage after the challenge by McManaman, but no action was taken against the Wigan player during the match.

The player himself has also condemned as "ridiculous" the decision not to take action over the tackle at the DW Stadium on Sunday.

Haidara told Le Parisien: "It's tough to take. I don't understand why. He could have ended my career and ruined my whole life and he will play again before me - ridiculous!

"You must protect players. 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 game. The authorities must take action.

"At the time I was very angry. I thought he'd ended my career. Now I know I escaped a serious injury, I have taken time to stand back from it and I am not angry.

"I simply hope it will serve as a lesson for him and the next time he will think twice before making a tackle like that. I hope when he watched it back he told himself that wasn't who he really was."

Newcastle assistant manager John Carver and Wigan assistant coach Graham Barrow have been charged with misconduct by the FA after they clashed following the incident.

PA