Following Middlesbrough’s fury at the FA last week, for dismissing Jeremie Aliadiere’s appeal against the soft red card he picked up at Liverpool, and adding another one game ban for what the FA termed a frivolous appeal, it was interesting to see how the FA would deal with the case of Chelsea’s Frank Lampard.

Boro boss Keith Lamb had suggested that there was one rule for the ‘top four’ , and one for the rest. While Lampard’s sending off was even softer than Aliadiere’s, the outcome for Middlesbrough must be a bitter pill to swallow.

The Chelsea midfielders card was rescinded today after game officials admitted that they had made a mistake. It seems that the debating point is how high a player raises his arm. Lampard clearly pushed  West Hams Boa Morte in the chest and not the face.

Referees have been instructed that, while endangering an opponent warrants a red card, contact on or above the neck is deemed violent conduct under UEFA guidelines.

Hope that sorts it out for Keith Lamb then, who must be fuming.