Everton boss David Moyes in call for FA panel overhaul

The Scot was sent to the stands by referee Alan Wiley after reacting furiously to the official changing his mind and refusing to award what appeared a clear penalty to his side.

During the hearing at the City of Manchester Stadium on Tuesday, Moyes was told the panel agreed the spot-kick should have been given.

And the fact he was still subsequently censured merely added to the Everton manager's disgruntlement at the FA's treatment of him.

"The problem, as I see it, is with the FA and the way the disciplinary side of things is run," he said. "The way I was dealt with was a classic example of that.

"The panel I saw admitted the referee had made a mistake and accepted my point that I wouldn't have been sent off if the error hadn't occurred, yet they still hit me in the pocket.

"Two wrongs don't make a right and I think that's what they tried to do there.

"They are a law unto themselves aren't they? They make their own rules, they bring their own people in on the panels and make their own decisions so it is very difficult."

Moyes has previously expressed concerns at the make-up of the FA's disciplinary panels, most recently regarding the hearing which upheld Tim Cahill's three-match ban for his red card in the Merseyside derby.

Moyes queried the selection process again yesterday, and said: "It doesn't help that the disciplinary panel sitting before you, acting as judge and jury, are largely from within their own ranks. There was one person you could call independent - an ex-manager - out of four on the panel, so that is something which needs looking at.

"We are talking about one of the most professional and big-business leagues in the world, but there seems to be a lack of common sense in the way it is run, at times.

"They accepted the referee had got it wrong and realised he would not have sent me off otherwise, yet still they chose to fine me. Players, managers and referees are doing everything they can to make this Respect campaign work. There have been instances of managers being sent to the stands, but generally people are being careful with their choice of words."

Moyes makes no apology for his reaction to the penalty incident at the Britannia Stadium in September.

"You have to be passionate about what you are doing," he added. "In any walk of life, if you are in charge of a group of workers, and they are being badly treated, you stand up for them. My workers were badly treated with some of the things going on at Stoke, so I stood up for them.

"Thousands of our supporters travelled to that game, and are you trying to tell me they would want me to sit there twiddling my thumbs while we're getting the rough end of some key decisions?

"I have to show I care about that, and that is something I will continue to do. If the FA want the respect idea to work, shouldn't the right course of action have been for them to say: 'Right, David, the referee made a mistake. We can see that and understand why you were so frustrated. Don't do it again. Away you go.'

"Instead, it's like being hit for a second time, punished with a fine over a decision they accept shouldn't have gone against us.

"I pleaded guilty to the charge, because there's no getting away from the fact that I was sent off. But the mitigating circumstances surely should have counted.

"The job isn't being done properly, as I see it. If it was being done properly, they would have turned round and said 'this was a mistake by the person in charge - he didn't mean to get it wrong, but that's what happened'."

With Everton not in action until their visit to Wigan on Monday, Moyes hopes the extra time will benefit those players with minor injuries.

Marouane Fellaini and Steven Pienaar, who sat out the latest international games in midweek, continue to undergo treatment on their respective groin and knee problems, while Tim Cahill, troubled by a niggling heel complaint, came through unscathed from Australia's World Cup win in Bahrain.

Everton's FA Youth Cup third round tie with Nantwich is at Goodison on Monday, December 15 (kick-off 7.30pm).