Keane denies improper conduct charge

Sunderland manager Roy Keane denied an English Football Association charge of improper conduct on Thursday.

The charge relates to Keane's behaviour towards referee Martin Atkinson in Sunderland's 5-0 defeat at Chelsea when he was sent to the stands after confronting the official in the tunnel at half-time.

The Black Cats boss, who has requested a personal hearing, was unhappy with a series of decisions made by Atkinson and revealed the referees' assessor had rung him after the match acknowledging two of Chelsea's goals should not have stood.

Keane said: “I haven't got a problem with referees making mistakes. What would disappoint me, particularly over the last year and particularly this season, is the number of big decisions that have gone against our football club.

“But when it is constantly going against you, clearly bad decisions, then you have a right as a manager to question or ask an official at half-time.”