Manchester City's relationship with Portsmouth is in danger of descending into rancorous hostility after another day of muck-slinging and finger-pointing about what Stuart Pearce described as a "witch-hunt" of Joey Barton. City will today protest about Pompey's behaviour in an official statement and Pearce's long-standing friendship with his counterpart Harry Redknapp is threatened.
The Pompey manager yesterday infuriated Pearce, as well as the City directors, by claiming that Barton had set out to injure Pedro Mendes in the game at Fratton Park and that anyone who thought otherwise needed "their heads looking at".
Pearce, who played for Redknapp at West Ham, was appalled by the comments and City's response was terse and to the point. "Mr Redknapp is entitled to his view," a spokesman said. "But we don't agree with a single thing he has said."
City will go public with their grievances today and it is apparent there is extensive bad feeling between the clubs. The City hierarchy are particularly disappointed because they feel they tried to repair the relationship with Portsmouth after Ben Thatcher's infamous challenge on Mendes when the sides met in August.
Thatcher was banned for eight matches after knocking Mendes unconscious, and Redknapp is suggesting City set out to injure the Portuguese midfielder on both occasions. "Barton meant to do it," he said yesterday. "Barton deliberately did Pedro. He deserved a red card and anyone who says it's an accident needs their heads looking at.
"Pedro was running the game before he got hurt and I'm annoyed because Pedro is a good player and a good professional who doesn't go around kicking anyone. But now he's copped it twice against City. He's the one suffering here."
Redknapp was so incensed during the game that he argued with the referee, Mike Dean, at half-time, leading to him being sent from the dugout and the Football Association charging him with misconduct.
"It's nonsense if I get fined," he said. "Nigel Winterburn was on the TV saying it was blatant. Andy Gray said he wished he could defend the tackle but he couldn't.
"I would rather give the money to Leukemia Busters than to the FA."
As well as being outraged by Redknapp's accusations, City are deeply unhappy with suggestions - they say fabricated - that Barton made obscene gestures to Portsmouth's fans at the end of the game. City believe the allegations were deliberately leaked by Fratton Park officials and have contacted Portsmouth to ask for evidence. They have not received a reply and do not expect one.
Mendes was carried off on a stretcher after Barton's challenge, but it is a measure of how bad relations have become that City have reacted with suspicion to the news that he will miss no games and has nothing worse than bruising. Pompey's physiotherapist, Gary Sadler, described Mendes as "very lucky" and said that "the pads he was wearing to protect his heel stopped the Achilles being sliced open".
Meanwhile, Wigan Athletic manager Paul Jewell was charged with improper conduct by the English FA for his behaviour towards referee Phil Dowd after Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Arsenal.
Wigan had looked set to inflict a first defeat on Arsenal at their Emirates stadium after leading through Denny Landzaat's first-half goal. But the Londoners scored twice in the last 10 minutes to keep the visitors deep in relegation trouble.
Jewell was furious Dowd failed to award Wigan, who are one place above the drop zone, a penalty when Emile Heskey tumbled under a challenge from Mathieu Flamini.
"We, as a club, will be fighting this (charge) tooth and nail," said Jewell. "I have been overwhelmed with the support I have had from inside the game, big figures who I respect a great deal. They have told me in no uncertain terms I must take this all the way and that's what I intend to do."
Wigan alleged that a number of their players were verbally abused in an aggressive and menacing manner by Dowd.
Tottenham and Middlesbrough have been fined by the English FA and warned about their future conduct for the unseemly tussle during their December 5th meeting at White Hart Lane.
Spurs have been fined £8,000 - half of which is suspended for 12 months - and Boro £4,000 (£2,000 suspended for 12 months) after being found guilty by a disciplinary commission of failing to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion. Both clubs had denied the charges.
Guardian Service
