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Football

Bowyer is told to face magistrates


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Bowyer was fined six weeks' wages by Newcastle after the clash

NEWCASTLE, England -- Newcastle United's Lee Bowyer has been ordered to appear in court on charges related to his on-pitch fight with team-mate Kieron Dyer, police have announced.

Bowyer and Dyer came to blows during the Premiership match against Aston Villa at St James's Park on April 2 and were both sent off.

Bowyer was given a four-game ban and Dyer suspended for three matches by the English FA.

Newcastle placed all the blame upon Bowyer and fined him six weeks' wages, around $368,000, the heaviest fine ever imposed on a British player by his employers.

A spokesman for Northumbria police said: "After considering advice from the Crown Prosecution Service, it has been decided that Lee Bowyer will be summonsed to attend Newcastle Magistrates' Court at a date to be fixed, for an offence under section four of the Public Order Act, and that there will be no further police action in respect of Kieron Dyer."

The summons does not allege assault but alleges that Bowyer used "threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior intending that someone would believe that violence would be used against them."

Bowyer's lawyer, Steve Barker, questioned if a prosecution was in the public interest, given that he had already been punished twice.

"It's our intention to have the decision to prosecute him reviewed judicially in the High Court," Barker told BBC Radio. "I am going to argue that the decision to prosecute Lee Bowyer should be reviewed judicially."

Barker said Bowyer was very upset at being prosecuted.

"He's entitled to say: 'Why me? Why aren't you prosecuting other footballers who've done much worse than me, other sportsmen who regularly administer much more serious injuries'," Barker said.

"I mean, no one was injured in this."


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