MANCHESTER — Manchester City's Gareth Barry has been charged with abusing a match official by the Football Association (FA) as the fallout from Sunday's Manchester derby continues. “Manchester City's Gareth Barry has been charged by The FA for a breach of its Rule E3 in that he used abusive and/or insulting words towards a match official following the Manchester City vS. Manchester United game on Sunday 9 December 2012,” a statement on the FA's website (www.thefa.com) said Tuesday. The England midfielder has until 1600 GMT Thursday to respond to the charge. The match, won 3-2 by United, was marred by crowd trouble following Robin van Persie's late winner at the Etihad Stadium. Police are trying to identify a su porter who threw a coin at United defender Rio Ferdinand which left him bleeding from a cut about his left eye. As he was recovering, City fan Matthew Stott ran onto the pitch and tried to reach him, but was restrained by the home side's goalkeeper Joe Hart. He was one of two people charged with pitch encroachment. In total 13 people were arrested after the match, with nine being charged including one for a racially aggravated public order offence. Professional Footballers' Association boss Gordon Taylor has since suggested netting should be erected in some parts of stadiums to protect players from objects being hurled from the crowd, while the FA's chairman David Bernstein has said fans who “hijack” matches with bad behavior should be banned for life. — Reuters
