Ferdinand suspension extended for frivolous appeal

• Independent, Friday, January 29, 2010 12:30 PM

Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand had his suspension extended from three games to four for striking Hull's Craig Fagan in Saturday's English Premier League when the FA's Independent Commission deemed his denial of the charge to be frivolous.

Nonetheless, United is considering another appeal, even though that could mean Ferdinand is suspended a fifth game and would miss the League Cup final against Aston Villa. Manager Alex Ferguson believes United is the victim of double standards, citing the FA's failure to charge ­Liverpool's Javier Mascherano for striking Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford in a more blatant incident in a League Cup game last ­September.

"If it's a fair hearing, then he [Ferdinand] has a good chance," Ferguson said, before the hearing. "He was wrestled and punched, all sorts of things happened to him, and he was just trying to wrestle free from it. Unfortunately for us, he's caught him [Fagan] on the back of the head."

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