whether there is money going back and forth under the table is, imo, open to debate, but what is undeniably true is that the fa are motivated by money. the big clubs, man utd, arsenal, chelsea, liverpool, and now man city, represent their best chance of income from abroad - they have more supporters in foreign countries, who want to pay more money to see united winning the title, liverpool in europe, than they do a sunderland or a birmingham winning a match. it is in the fa's best financial interest to have these teams continue to succeed, and there's no doubt in my mind this information is reiterated to referees. the fa doesn't get most of it's revenue from the uk anymore, it's selling the rights elsewhere, asia, the rest of europe, and to keep that income high, the big clubs need to do well, and the "superstars" need to be on the pitch. i'm not saying this is a set in stone rule, but it's obviously something they are aware of, and a guideline they pass down to the refs.
what i'd love to see, just once, is for someone to take the fa to court over an incident like this. next time a player gets a red for an elbow, take them to court and as your first bit of evidence, show the footage of rooney, and ask, if the precedent is that he did not get a red card, why did i?? a fair court would find in their favour, and it would embarrass the fa, even if it didn't make them stop it.
also, next time bruce wants to complain about a ref, i;d love him to just memorise some quotes from fergie having a go, use them, and see if he gets a fine or a touchline ban. if he does, take them to court, because it would prove one rule for some and a different one for the rest of us.
