Colchester United and the Football Association are at loggerheads over the Oldham Athletic 'misbehaviour' affair.

The U's and Oldham are still waiting to learn of their fate more than a month after the FA served them with delayed charges in December arising from an incident-packed Second Division clash last September.

Incident - confusion is the order of the day between U's and the FA over the charges from the Oldham game

But in a new twist today confusion still reigns as the FA and Colchester differ about the exact charges the club has to answer.

An FA spokesman told the Evening Gazette: "Both clubs have been charged under rule E21 (a) failure to control their players.

"They have both responded by requesting personal hearings and we are now working towards setting a date and a venue for those hearings."

U's chief executive Marie Partner promptly retorted: "That's not true.

"In our letter to the FA we specifically stated we did not want a personal hearing.

"Our club admits its players failed to conduct themselves in an orderly fashion, but denies violent, threatening, or provocative behaviour.

"This club maintains the provocative behaviour leading to the incidents concerned was solely caused by the Oldham player who the referee dismissed for violent conduct.

"Furthermore, the Colchester player sent-off (Mark Warren) subsequently served a four-match suspension, while our other player involved (Danny Steele) has since left the club."

Oldham captain Clint Hill was sent-off by Hertfordshire referee Grant Hegley following a reckless second-half tackle on Colchester's Mick Stockwell during the game at Layer Road on September 21.

Published Wednesday, January 22, 2003

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