FA hits Ferguson with second charge

Duncan Ferguson, the Everton striker, has been charged with a second count of violent conduct by the Football Association following incidents during the Premiership match with Wigan Athletic on Tuesday.

Ferguson, who has a notoriously short temper, is already facing a three-match ban after being sent off by the referee Mike Dean for punching the Latics defender Paul Scharner in the stomach during the 1-1 draw.

However, it has now transpired that Dean missed Ferguson shoving his hand into the face of Pascal Chimbonda immediately after the Scharner incident.

Dean has informed the FA that, had he witnessed the incident, which occurred before he red-carded the striker, it would have warranted a dismissal on its own.

The FA has decided to act and have given Ferguson until 6pm today to respond to the charge. If the centre forward contests the charge the case will be heard a week today.

If he is found guilty, an additional three-match suspension seems certain, which will rule him out of action until either the Premiership encounter with Fulham on 11 March or against Aston Villa seven days later, depending on the outcome of Everton's FA Cup replay at Chelsea.