Shrewsbury Town lodge FA appeal against Aaron Pierre violent conduct charge
Shrewsbury Town have appealed the Football Association's decision to charge Aaron Pierre with violent conduct.
It has been alleged defender Pierre directed a headbutt towards a Bristol Rovers player during the melee that followed the decision to not award a penalty decision on Town's Louis Thompson.
Shrews boss Sam Ricketts confirmed the club have lodged an appeal against the charge.
Town and Rovers have also been charged after it was alleged they 'failed to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and/or refrained from provocative behaviour'.
It was further alleged hosts Shrewsbury also failed to ensure its players refrained from violent conduct after referee Graham Salisbury decided against pointing to the spot. Thompson was pushed by Rovers keeper Anssi Jaakkola before several skirmishes broke out. Five players were booked.
If the appeal is unsuccessful Pierre will serve a minimum three-game ban. The FA can add an extra game to the ban if they believe the club's appeal to be frivolous, something Ricketts denies.
"Aaron Pierre got cited for a supposed headbutt which is anything but – he's trying to break up the melee which was caused by not giving a penalty," Ricketts said.
"The FA have gone back over the footage and deemed he's tried to headbutt one of their players which is far from the truth.
"He wasn't aggressive before or after the incident. He was physically trying to separate players rather than instigate or start anything. We have to wait and see what the outcome is.
"I've appealed because it's not a headbutt. It's not a frivolous appeal. You can see exactly the circumstance, it wasn't aggressive before or after it. He's just pulling players apart.
"As he's gone down between two as he's come back to get between them he's heads come up and he's between the arms of two players, his head can't come back any further, he's caught the lad.
"No-one's reacted, there were three of our Bristol Rovers players right there but no-one suggested any headbutt or anything like that, it's just been a little bit misconstrued."
