ROONEY WILL DEFINITELY MISS THREE GAMES

Last updated : 21 August 2006 By Ed
From The Times

The Football Association say they cannot overturn Wayne Rooney's three-match ban despite the England striker's extraordinary threat to withdraw his support for the governing body's multi-million pound commercial activities.

In an unprecedented move Rooney's agent, Paul Stretford, has written to the FA chief executive Brian Barwick warning him that the Manchester United star will not allow them to use his image or make him available to their sponsors unless they change their disciplinary procedures. He is also calling for closer relations between the FA and the country's top players.

A four-man disciplinary commission ruled last week that referee Ruud Bossen got it right when he dismissed Rooney for catching defender Pepe in the face with his arm during a pre-season friendly against Porto in Amsterdam on Aug 4.

Rooney was so incensed by the decision that he sanctioned Stretford to write to Barwick outlining his "utter dismay" at the panel's failure to reverse the ban.

An FA spokesman said: "As far as our disciplinary regulations are concerned, there is no further appeals process that would enable the ban to be overturned." That leaves Rooney and United on a collision course with the FA, although the player and his agent have ruled out the possibility of him refusing to play for the England team.

United chief executive David Gill has also written to Barwick contesting the ban. The club are even thought to be considering a possible legal challenge. The new club versus country row comes just two months after the World Cup stand-off between United and the FA over Rooney's broken foot.

A spokesman for Rooney said last night: "It's our hope that this will lead to much better dialogue should these matters arise again in future.

"Maybe it could be the sort of dialogue that was maintained on a day-to-day basis by both sides when the FA were so keen to get Wayne to the World Cup for England. We are now waiting for the FA's response."