Wolves chief hit with misconduct charge following alleged tunnel spat after Man City defeat… 11 months on from calling referee ‘absolutely f***ing useless’
- Wolves lost to Man City after John Stones scored a controversial late winner
- There was an angry reaction from Gary O’Neil’s side after the match ended
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Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs has been charged with misconduct following the 2-1 defeat to Man City.
Gary O’Neil’s side suffered a heartbreaking defeat to City on Sunday, with John Stones scoring a controversial winner in the 95th minute.
The defender’s header was initially ruled out for offside, before referee Chris Kavanagh’s review decided to award the ball when he ruled Bernardo Silva was not interfering with Jose Sa.
This sparked a furious response from Wolves, with O’Neil later claiming there may be an unconscious bias from referees towards the top six – comments which the FA have asked him to explain.
The Wolves’ fury didn’t stop there, with Hobbs getting himself into trouble for ‘allegedly acting in an inappropriate manner and/or using offensive words towards the match official(s’).
Wolves boss Matt Hobbs has been accused of misconduct following the 2-1 defeat to Manchester City
Wolves were left furious after John Stones’ late header was controversially awarded as a goal
It was initially ruled out for offside before Chris Kavanagh changed his mind during the review
An FA statement read: ‘Wolverhampton Wanderers’ sporting director (Matt Hobbs) has been accused of misconduct following their Premier League match against Manchester City on Sunday, October 20.
‘Matt Hobbs is alleged to have acted inappropriately and/or used offensive words towards the match official(s) around the tunnel area after the final whistle. He has until Monday, October 28 to respond.”
This is not the first time Hobbs, who has been Wolves sporting director since November 2022 after joining the club in 2015, has found himself in trouble with the FA.
Last season, Hobbs was handed a one-match ban for calling referee Anthony Taylor ‘absolutely useless’ after Wolves’ 2-2 draw with Newcastle on October 28, 2022.
It came after Newcastle were awarded a controversial penalty when Hwang Hee-chan was found to have fouled Newcastle’s Fabian Schar, with Callum Wilson scoring the penalty.
Taylor had claimed Hobbs walked past him as he walked back into the tunnel before saying: “Absolutely bloody useless as usual.”
Taylor then told Hobbs his attitude was unacceptable, prompting Hobbs to snap back.
Hobbs – who was given a one-match suspension last season for misconduct – was charged with ‘allegedly behaving in an inappropriate manner and/or using offensive words towards the match official(s’)
Kavanagh found himself at the center of controversy after the dramatic late decision
Gary O’Neil was furious and claimed there may be an unconscious bias towards the top six
Taylor and his assistants Adam Nunn and Gary Beswick claimed the Wolves boss then said: ‘We look forward to your apology again.’
Hobbs was subsequently charged with misconduct and fined £4,000 in addition to the suspension.
Wolves, who remain winless in the Premier League this season, are back in action on Saturday when they travel to Brighton.