Snodgrass on FA charge for insulting drugs official
WEST HaM midfielder robert Snodgrass has been charged by the Fa for saying to a uK anti-Doping official: ‘Haven’t you got anything else better to do?’
The Scot allegedly insulted the official during a round of drugtesting at the club’s rush Green training ground on February 6. He is also believed to have sworn.
Snodgrass, 31, was not scheduled to be tested and he did not refuse to take a test. His words have been described to Sportsmail as tongue-in-cheek.
His West Ham team- mates believe his comments were made in a jovial manner and were not meant maliciously.
Nevertheless, his jibe has been deemed serious enough for uK anti-Doping to report the incident to the Fa, who yesterday charged the former Hull player.
Sources claim the Hammers squad have been left shocked by the news. Snodgrass, who has made 32 appearances and scored four goals for West Ham this season, has until March 18 to respond to the charge.
a number of his team-mates are willing to vouch for him if it helps with any appeal.
an Fa spokesman said: ‘robert Snodgrass has been charged with a breach of Fa rule E3(1).
‘it is alleged the player used abusive and/or insulting words towards uK anti-Doping officials who were visiting West Ham united’s training ground on February 6, 2019, to conduct out-of-competition testing.’
There is no indication as to what level of punishment Snodgrass would face if found guilty, but Bury manager ryan Lowe was given a two-match stadium ban and fined £1,500 fine by the Fa last year for an ‘abusive’ reaction to a visit from anti-doping officials’.