Even after being charged by the English Football Association, Hull City manager Steve Bruce defended his comments that were critical of referee Michael Oliver on Sunday. His team lost 1-0 after Oliver awarded Tottenham Hotspur a penalty when a ball hit Ahmed Elmohamady in the hand in the penalty area.
“I have to ask the question, would we have got it?” Bruce asked (via Sky Sports) after the match. “In my opinion, he (Oliver) couldn’t wait to give it.”
On Thursday, the FA charged him because his comments “called into question the integrity of the match referee, and/or implied that the match referee was motivated by bias; and/or brought the game into disrepute,” according to a statement on its website.
After Hull’s League Cup match on Wednesday, a loss in penalties to the same Spurs side, Bruce acknowledged that he had been charged for his words. He also said that referee boss Mike Riley admitted to him that the penalty was incorrectly awarded.
“I’ll argue my case,” Bruce said. “It will cost me a few quid, but I’ll do it.”
