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LONDON (AP)—One is accused of accidentally shooting a young intern with an air rifle. The other is under fire for elbowing an opponent in the head.

Despite the latest incidents that have further tarnished their reputations, Chelsea defender Ashley Cole and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney have been cleared to play Tuesday in one of the most highly anticipated games of the Premier League season.

While Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti accepts Cole “stepped over the line” in accidentally shooting an intern at the team’s training ground eight days ago, a fine is the harshest punishment facing the defender.

Rooney can play after The Football Association conceded it was powerless to ban him for elbowing a Wigan player in an off-the-ball incident on Saturday’s league match.

The transgressions have raised fresh questions about players’ conduct on and off the pitch and the lack of desire to ensure they face stricter punishments.

Ancelotti insisted there was “no way” Cole would be fired after the left back played around with a .22 air gun and accidentally left sports sciences student Tom Cowan—who is on a one-year internship at Chelsea—wounded and bleeding .

Chelsea had hoped the incident would never be made public, with the details only emerging in the News of the World tabloid on Sunday exactly a week after the shooting.

Even after the front-page story was published, Chelsea stressed that despite the severity of the incident it wouldn’t comment on an “internal matter,” dismissing it in the same tone as transfer speculation.

Even on Monday, Ancelotti stressed that Cole “always had very good behavior here.”

“Who didn’t make a mistake in his life?” the Italian asked reporters. “The mistake was that the gun was here in Cobham. We didn’t know the gun was here … (the) players aren’t out of control.”

Despite Ancelotti praising Cole, the air rifle incident last Sunday is not the first time Cole has attracted negative publicity.

While few doubt his abilities on the pitch—the 30-year-old Cole is the England national team’s most-capped fullback—he has been criticized for poor conduct on the pitch and cheating on his pop star wife Cheryl Cole.

“Obviously, we are not happy with what happened, but I have spoken with him,” Ancelotti said. “He was very disappointed with this, and said sorry. It was an accident. We have taken proper action but tomorrow he will play.”

Ancelotti can’t afford to drop Cole, with Chelsea in danger of missing out on the Champions League places as it sits in fifth place and 15 points adrift of leader United.

“It is a very important game for the futures of Manchester United and Chelsea,” Ancelotti said. “It will not be easy because Manchester United has until now been the best team in the Premier League. It is very difficult for us to close this gap … and to come back. Manchester United can decide its destiny.”

And as United heads toward a record-breaking 19th English title, a siege mentality exists at Old Trafford.

While Cole accidentally discharged a lead pellet, United manager Alex Ferguson is figuratively shooting the messenger over the Rooney incident.

“As it is Wayne, the press will raise a campaign to get him hung or electrocuted, something like that,” Ferguson told United’s in-house television channel.

Referee Mark Clattenburg didn’t book Rooney on Saturday for taking a swipe at the back of James McCarthy’s head after the Wigan midfielder had appeared set to block his run.

The body that manages referees in England defended Clattenburg’s decision.

“Match officials are trained to prioritize following the ball, as that’s where the greater majority of incidents are going to take place,” Professional Game Match Officials general manager Mike Riley said. “In this incident Mark was following play but caught sight of two players coming together and he awarded a free kick because he believed one player had impeded the other.

“We should be clear that Mark did nothing wrong in officiating this incident as he acted on what he saw on the pitch.”

FIFA rules prevent the FA from retrospectively imposing a stern sanction on Rooney after reviewing video evidence, but that hasn’t stopped the striker’s temperament being condemned—and not for the first time.

It has been a lackluster injury-plagued season for the 25-year-old Rooney on the pitch. And he was kept out of the team after being accused of cheating on his then-pregnant wife with prostitutes.

Labels: battle, Football, Rooney

By Ivan Speck Last updated at 7:29 PM on 16th February 2011

Barry Hearn has warned Prime Minister David Cameron not to rubber-stamp West Ham’s proposed takeover of the Olympic Stadium or he will be risking a protracted legal battle.

The Leyton Orient chairman is also threatening proceedings against the Premier League if they sanction the move which he believes is against Premier League rules. He will meet its chief executive Richard Scudamore tomorrow to discuss his club’s position.

Hearn said: ‘I do not blame West Ham. They are only looking after their own interests. The culprits are the Government and the Premier League.

‘To have a giant of West Ham’s stature on our doorstep offering discounted and free tickets would seriously bring into question the survival of Leyton Orient.’

Labels: Barry, battle, Cameron, Daily, David, Hearn, legal, threatens

While Naismith was offered sympathy, however, for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ striker Steven Fletcher, who made it clear that he did not wish to be part of manager Craig Levein’s plans, there was only bafflement from Houston.

Naismith, who had previously been cautioned, was dismissed 14 minutes from time at Ibrox after going to ground in theatrical fashion.

Television replays proved that Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew made no contact with his opponent, leaving the Dundee United manager to mount an unconvincing defence of the 24-year-old’s actions.

“Craig and I were sitting in the director’s box and at the time I thought it was a foul,” he said. “The debate we were having was whether it happened inside or outside the box so it’s a magnificent call from the referee.

“Obviously, you see players in certain teams going down but I don’t think for one second that Naisy [Naismith] is a cheat: he’s a player I respect and admire and I’d love to have him in my team.

“I think that he was going so quickly that he was on the way in a forward momentum that took him down. I don’t think that he deliberately dived.

“He’s not been accused of that in the past so I don’t think that it’s even worth mentioning that he’s a cheat or that he tried to con the referee.

“His momentum took him down due to the pace he was going at. He could have slipped – it was a slippery pitch on Sunday – so I don’t believe he has to worry because he’s not anywhere near being the type of person who will con referees.

“For me he’s one of our most honest and hard-working players and I’ve noticed that even more since working with him for Scotland. I think it would be really unfair if he was tarred as a cheat.”

As for Fletcher, one was left with the impression that his decision to sit our Levein’s reign (as Kris Boyd and Lee McCulloch did with George Burley) will not provoke wailing and gnashing of teeth from the Scotland management team.

“I don’t know why Steven’s chosen to do what he’s done,” he said. “We have a squad of young players who want to be here and I think that’s the biggest thing. “We are becoming more like a club side and people are wanting to be here more often than not although Steven Fletcher is a different kettle of fish.

“He has chosen his pathway and I don’t know if he will change his mind. He has decided to concentrate on his club, but all I’m interested in is guys who want to be here.

“We have to look forward as there are many more who want to be in the squad.

“For anyone to knock back playing for their country, I justc an’t understand that. It’s a big thrill for me, as a club manager, to come here.

“I love the experience I’m gaining as a coach with the national team. I see how other teams play – ones I’d normally only watch on television – and now I’m party to trying to beak them down and win matches against them. I’m also a Scotland supporter and I’ve seen call-offs in the past and people who don’t want to play but I’m just looking to the future.

“This squad could be really good for the national team in the future. The biggest thing is getting back to the time when Craig Brown got us to the finals of European Championships and World Cups. I think we have asquad now which, given time, can do that.”

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