Neville and Bellamy escape censure over derby

The Football Association was accused yesterday of having double standards after they confirmed that no charges would be brought against either Gary Neville or Craig Bellamy for the players' behaviour during and at after the thunderous Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Welsh international Bellamy, a player with some form when it comes to disciplinary issues, topped off a sterling footballing performance - his two beautifully taken goals looked to have rescued a draw for Manchester City - with an apparent assault on a fan who ran onto the pitch towards the end of the game.

Meanwhile Neville, a non-playing substitute, has incredibly escaped censure despite running down the pitch to celebrate Michael Owen's 96th minute winner in front of the visiting Manchester City contingent. Neville was fined £5,000 for an identical action three years ago against Liverpool fans, and City's striker Emmanuel Adebayor currently faces FA charges for doing the same thing a week earlier against his old club Arsenal.

"In relation to Craig Bellamy the match referee has confirmed that he would not have sent the player off had he seen the incident with the fan at the time," an FA spokesman said yesterday. "Craig Bellamy will be contacted by the FA and warned as to his future conduct. Gary Neville has been reminded of his responsibilities following his actions after Manchester United's final goal deep into injury time."

City manager Mark Hughes will not spend too much time querying the Neville decision, relieved as he is that Bellamy, one of the few fully fit strikers left at Eastlands, has escaped what would appear from TV footage to be a cast iron charge. Indeed he launched a defence of the passion that players such as Bellamy, a long-time favourite of the manager who has mentored him at international and club level, show.

"You can't take emotion out of football or any sport for that matter because that is fundamental to what you are trying to create," insisted Hughes. "That passion from the players' point of view is fundamental to how they develop as a top player. Every player who plays for Manchester City has passion but there will be varying degrees of it, because all players and personalities are different. You have to have it."

To compound matters in the eyes of the FA's critics, the body also failed to take Manchester United to task after the City substitute Javier Garrido was hit by a missile from the crowd as he left the pitch at half time. The FA statement added: "The FA fully expects the club to use all available means to identify and deal with the culprit appropriately and, along with the fan who entered the field of play, look to issue bans on attending future matches." ·