What about that controversial play by Wayne Rooney in the Fifth Round FA Cup win over Preston North End? Well, the controversy is definitely not going away; certainly not any time soon. According to North End manager Simon Grayson, Wayne Rooney did not dive.
Grayson said: “I am not saying it wasn’t a penalty. I’m saying there was no contact.” “It wasn’t a dive. He’s gone to get out of the way and take evasive action.”
Now there’s an update via The Guardian:
Preston goalkeeper Thorsten Stuckmann said that Rooney apologized to him after the game. The penalty kick sealed the 3-1 win for United.
“After the game Rooney told me: ‘Sorry, it was my chance to get a penalty. I had to use that,’” Stuckmann was quoted by the Sun.
Added Grayson on Monday night: “I also believe that, if the situation had happened the other way around, one of our strikers against the United keeper, the ref wouldn’t have given the penalty. I have no doubt about that.”
-Here’s more on the Wayne Rooney penalty/non penalty
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports Digital, eBay, Google News and CBS Interactive. You can read Banks’ feature stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye newspaper and listen to him on KOZN 1620 The Zone.
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