FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Championship - Burnley v Plymouth Argyle - Turf Moor, Burnley, Britain - October 1, 2024 Plymouth Argyle manager Wayne Rooney before the match Action Images/Craig Brough/File Photo
(Reuters) - Plymouth Argyle boss Wayne Rooney was charged by the Football Association on Tuesday for his behaviour in an eventful win over Blackburn Rovers where he was sent off for allegedly insulting the fourth official and returning to the pitch after his dismissal.
In Saturday's game, Plymouth were leading 1-0 when Blackburn scored an equaliser in the 86th minute which Rooney and his players felt should not have stood, with the former Manchester United and England forward seen fuming at the fourth official.
Referee James Linington showed Rooney the red card and the 38-year-old walked down the tunnel at Home Park Stadium, but he was back on the pitch to celebrate a 97th-minute winner from Morgan Whitaker as Plymouth won 2-1.
"The manager's conduct around the 87th minute was allegedly improper and/or he used abusive and/or insulting words towards a match official, which led to his dismissal," the FA said in a statement.
"It's further alleged that his conduct after being dismissed was improper and/or violent. It's also alleged that by returning to the field of play after being dismissed his behaviour was improper."
The FA said Rooney has until Tuesday to respond to the charges but the former England skipper said on Monday that he deserved the red card.
"It's my first time as manager receiving a red," Rooney told TalkSport.
"We worked extremely hard to win the game and to have that taken away by a mistake by the officials I felt was really harsh. I reacted in a manner which I probably shouldn't have and the red card was deserved from that point of view."
Rooney took over Plymouth prior to this season and the second-tier Championship club are 14th in the standings.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
