Hughes unhappy with FA charge

Mark Hughes will not contest the Football Association's charge of improper conduct he was hit with in the wake of Stoke’s defeat to Tottenham last weekend.

Hughes was sent to the stands in the first half of the 4-0 defeat after protesting at the decision to book winger Marko Arnautovic for diving.

He was charged with improper conduct and had until Friday evening to respond but the Potters manager believes there is little point in appealing the decision.

"The incident itself was maybe interpreted differently than I thought it should have been, but it is what it is," Hughes told reporters on Friday morning.

"There is no point appealing because if you appeal and lose, which more often than not you do, then it costs you more money, and I would prefer to give that to my grandchildren."

Ahead of Hughes' press conference, Stoke released a statement confirming the manager's decision not to contest the charge.

"Stoke City can confirm that although Mark Hughes disagrees with the Football Association's charge of improper conduct levelled against him following the game between Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur last Saturday he will not contest it," the statement read.

"Notwithstanding this, Stoke City does however have concerns in relation to a number of elements surrounding both the decision to dismiss Mark from the technical area and the events that followed that led to the subsequent charge being brought.

"Based on other Premier League matches played on that weekend, the Club is concerned in particular that there has been a potentially inconsistent approach in the enforcement by match officials in instances of managers leaving their technical areas, together with an incorrect application of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited's own guidance note on the use of electronic equipment in the technical area in respect of a manager communicating with technical area staff from the directors' seating area after Mark was dismissed from the technical area.

"The Club will be raising these issues with the Football Association and the Professional Game Match Officials Limited separately."

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