Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer of Newcastle United were yesterday interviewed by police regarding their fight at St James' Park at the beginning of the month. Neither player has been charged but a file has been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service.
Northumbria police last night issued a statement: "Two people who were involved in an incident on the pitch at St James' Park on April 2nd were interviewed under caution by Northumbria police officers. A file is being prepared for the CPS."
Bowyer and Dyer's altercation was brief and it is understood neither made a complaint about the other. However, under Section 4 of the Public Order Act 1984, police can either respond to a third party's complaint or act under their own initiative.
The most likely charge, should there be one, is common assault, with the maximum punishment six months in prison for a repeat offender. A fine or community-based penalty is a more common punishment for a first offender.
Northumbria police's intervention came on the day Bowyer formally pleaded guilty to the Football Association's charge of "violent conduct" for his part in the incident with Dyer.
"Newcastle United midfielder Lee Bowyer has admitted a breach of FA rule E3 for violent conduct," read a statement from the FA. "Bowyer has requested a personal hearing and the case will heard by a disciplinary commission on Friday, April 22nd."
Bowyer said last week he feared the automatic four-game domestic suspension could be raised to a level where his season is over. At this moment he is not available again until next Wednesday's Tyne-Tees derby at St James', after which Newcastle have only three more games.
The developments were part of another lurid day at St James'. Yesterday morning Nicky Butt became the fourth Newcastle player to apologise for his behaviour in the last two weeks, following Bowyer, Dyer and Laurent Robert. Butt's apology concerned the perceived snub towards Newcastle fans at the end of Sunday's FA Cup semi-final defeat by Butt's old club Manchester United.
A large part of Tyneside's angry reaction to the 4-1 loss focused on Butt, who failed to acknowledge the 32,000 Newcastle fans on the final whistle, in contrast to the rest of the Newcastle team. Butt refused, as ever, to speak to the media on Sunday but yesterday issued a statement saying: "I have heard suggestions that I deliberately snubbed the fans in Cardiff on Sunday. Well, I want to go on the record to say that this was not my intention and if I gave that impression all I can do is to wholeheartedly apologise to everyone.
"I was distraught about the result and our performance and immediately after the game all I wanted to do was to get out of there. I was also deep in thought about my own game. Manchester United are obviously my old team and I desperately wanted to make an impression against them."
Asked about the likelihood of selling unwanted personnel in pre-season, Souness replied: "It's never as black and white as that. If I've decided one player is not required, but he has a contract here, he'll be here if no one wants to buy him."
That was interpreted as a reference to Robert rather than Butt.
Souness also said yesterday the club's policy under Bobby Robson of buying young players with potential will not be continued. From now on Souness said he wants players with "a history".
