Kinnear charged over ref comments

Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear has been charged with improper conduct by the Football Association after describing Barclays Premier League official Martin Atkinson as a "Mickey Mouse" referee.

FA disciplinary chiefs wrote to the 61-year-old after the 2-1 defeat earlier this month to ask him to explain his comments.

An FA spokesman said: "Newcastle United manager Joe Kinnear has been charged with improper conduct."

He continued: "The charge relates to comments made about referee Martin Atkinson in media interviews following Newcastle's match against Fulham on November 9.

"Kinnear has until December 12 to respond to the charge."

The former Wimbledon manager, who was appointed as Kevin Keegan's successor on an interim basis in September, was furious with Atkinson after he failed to award his side a free-kick for what he believed was a foul on defender Claudio Cacapa by Andrew Johnson in the build-up to Fulham's match-winning penalty.

He said after the game: "Cacapa was on the ball and Johnson completely pushes him out the way, nicks the ball and gets the penalty.

"We have got the Mickey Mouse referee doing nothing. He's made an error that cost us."

Kinnear has previously landed himself in hot water with the FA over comments made about officials.

Indeed, he spent his first two games in charge at St James' Park watching from the stands as he served a two-match touchline ban imposed for calling a referee "Coco the Clown" during his days at Nottingham Forest.