Oatway is blameless after Wednesday rumpus (From The Argus)

Oatway is blameless after Wednesday rumpus

9:00am Saturday 16th February 2013 in Sport By Andy Naylor

ALBION coach Charlie Oatway has been cleared of any blame for the Hillsborough hullabaloo.

But Sheffield Wednesday boss Dave Jones has been banned and fined by the Football Association.

Oatway and Jones were charged with improper conduct by the FA following unsavoury scenes in the technical areas during Albion’s 3-1 defeat at Hillsborough a fortnight ago.

Stewards and police moved in after a tackle by Sheffield defender Danny Pugh on Albion full-back Inigo Calderon sparked a flare-up.

Oatway pleaded not guilty and requested a personal hearing, which he was never required to attend after footage of the incident provided by the Seagulls proved his innocence.

Jones admitted the charge and an independent FA commission have handed him a one-match touchline ban and fined him £2,000.

The ban is suspended until the end of next season and will only come into force if Jones is guilty of a similar offence during that period.

Albion manager Gus Poyet insisted immediately after the match that Oatway was blameless.

Poyet told The Argus: “I am delighted for Charlie. He was sad and worried, even though he did nothing wrong.”

Meanwhile, Poyet was pipped yesterday by Leicester’s Nigel Pearson for the Championship manager of the month award for January.