News: The Football Association has effectively handed Everton and West Ham United a week to identify the supporters who threw coins at Fulham's Claus Jensen and the Arsenal striker Robin van Persie in unwelcome flashpoints during the weekend's Premiership fixtures.
The FA contacted the clubs involved yesterday and will assess the referees' reports from the two games, but it has privately expressed the hope that, if at all possible, the culprits can be pinpointed within the next seven days.
With that in mind, both Everton and West Ham have appealed to their supporters for information, with the clubs hoping to have made progress before the game's governing body returns seeking updates later in the week.
Jensen was struck near the corner flag at Craven Cottage on Saturday, the Dane being cut on a cheek, and Everton are confident they will be able to obtain the identity of the thrower from television footage. They are scrutinising closed-circuit television and videos from Sky's match-day coverage, and club officials spent yesterday in dialogue with the Metropolitan Police, who say no one was ejected from the ground following the incident, to discuss what action will be taken. The fan in question, if caught, is likely to face a life ban.
"As a club we condemn without hesitation the actions of the moronic individual who threw a coin at Claus Jensen," said an Everton spokesman. "We would urge anyone who knows his or her identity to contact the police immediately. We will be studying video recordings of the incident to see if we can firstly isolate and then identify the so-called supporter involved."
That message was echoed by the West Ham managing director, Paul Aldridge, after Van Persie crumpled to the turf having been struck by a 2p coin as he prepared to take a throw-in on Sunday.
"It goes without saying that there is no place in football for that kind of incident and I am sure that all genuine West Ham supporters feel the same way," he said. "We would be appalled if one of our own players were to be the victim of such an incident during a match, and so we will be doing everything we can to trace the individual who carried out this assault. Once we find them, they will be dealt with in the most severe way possible."
The onus is now on both clubs identifying the fans in question, with the FA awaiting the results of those inquiries with interest. "We want to see what steps the clubs are taking to identify who is responsible," added a spokesman from Soho Square. "The key thing is to identify those responsible and make sure they are dealt with appropriately."
The FA will not pursue West Ham under the terms of previous charges regarding their supporters' behaviour since it is felt that the actions of a single rogue individual cannot be prevented in every case.
Meanwhile, the FA will wait until they have reviewed all the video evidence before deciding whether to take any action against Arsene Wenger or Alan Pardew for their touchline bust-up.
It is understood the report from referee Rob Styles from Sunday's Premiership match mentions the altercation between the two managers, but a decision has yet to be taken on whether they will face any disciplinary proceedings.
The FA's compliance unit have asked for video footage from all the camera angles to be provided before they make a decision. The incident blew up at Upton Park after Marlon Harewood snatched a late winner for West Ham, sparking wild celebrations from the under-pressure Pardew and causing Arsenal manager Wenger to react angrily.
- Guardian Service
