Peter, I imagine it would be very difficult to prove that Chelsea "played the card without justification" if there was insufficient evidence to find Clattenburg guilty. Even if it was proven I think your suggested punishment is a bit over the top, no?

Like all Evertonians, I'm no lover of Clattenburg. But to label anyone a racist without cast-iron evidence and go public about it is plain vile. Mud sticks and this will follow him around for the rest of his days, the accusers should be brought to the beak if this is proved untrue.

I am led to believe this was instigated by the black players lawyers association or the like, they bleat on (rightly so in some cases) about inequality and racism toward black players, so if untrue they have done themselves no favours whatsoever.

To be honest, I do not like Clattenburg, and I hate the fact that he is still allowed to referee in the PL when we all know he is known to let himself be greased by the RS.

But when it comes to Mikel, I would get all the facts before judging....I remember when he played here in Norway there was a ton loads off turmoil around him, and it has not been right quiet around him since he came to England either.

If the match officials who were miked up to Clattenburg all say they didn't hear him make any of the alleged remarks, Chelsea and their fans will simply claim conspiracy. RS fans still defend Suarez even though he admitted saying what he did.

We all know that football is run for the Sky 4 but hilariously they themselves are convinced everyone is against them!

Chelsea have previous with refs they don't like. Terry ended up being fined for the incident with Poll. And remember Mourinho in that Champions League match when he said he'd seen a player from the other team go into the ref's room at half time? Then after the ref had been hounded into 'retirement' by the papers, the Special One said "Oh I didn't see the player go into the ref's room, but someone else told me about it."

The concept of a Black Players Union would be divisive and won't happen. It's a lawyer who's seen how much Gordon Taylor trousers as PFA CEO and wants a slice. By his own admission he (the lawyer) didn't watch the game, isn't a football fan, but as a former Police Authority Committee member knew the process to set in train.

Clattenburg was found to have brought the referee's into disrepute through alleged shady business dealings, but took them to court to get reinstated (£70k a year for a failed businessman is not to be sniffed at).

The whole thing stinks. Of course referees will close ranks, the players will close ranks, and Chelsea will care not that they are despised even more in the mainstream press.

Nothing will be proved either way, and it'll be swept under the carpet. Something the FA are all to adept at. Do you think they would take on Chelsea who have limitless funds to mount legal challenges? Even though they effectively brought about the resignation of the England Manager, which cost the FA a few million?

I don't think it be too sensationalist to claim that this incident could be the one that finally blows the premier league apart.

Mikel is lying. Clatters maybe a dogshite ref at times but you're not telling me after all this time in the game he has finally let the veil slip and it turns out he is a racist. Absolute bullshit of the highest order.

The linesmen have no vested interest in C'burg. If they heard something they would've said so, I'm sure of it. I've never liked Chelsea but you put up with them – but to be quite honest they are becoming scum. From the captain down.

And they will get away with it. This is nothing more than slander born out of vengeance. The referees are now almost powerless. From what I've heard as well from season ticket holders at Stamford Bridge, there is still an element of home supporters who racially abuse their own black players from the stands.

Chelsea are playing the game. The club as a whole has been caught under a cloud and instead of embracing their situation to move on, are trying to fight a way out of it. The club are attempting to lift the stigma by "proving" eveyone else is at it. What they've ended up doing is showing how bitter they are.

Let's remove all preconceived ideas from this - what if Clattenberg DID call Mikel a "monkey"? What was the context? Was it a blatent racist remark - or was it in the context of "cheeky monkey!"?

The stumbling block will be proving beyond doubt the 1. what was said and 2. the context.

My theory is that the "Big Four"/"Big Six" have found themselves struggling to keep ahead of the chasing pack (Everton, Spurs etc.) and are trying to create an edge for themselves by scaring the authorities into treating them better than the rest.

A few seasons ago Ferguson, Wenger and Mourinho were the front runners who called the shots and pointed things out to the refs - eg "Andrew Johnson dives" (the player has never recovered from that). Since then other managers have started utilising the same tactics in reverse which has removed that edge and done damage in return. (eg Suarez).

What clubs like Chelsea forget is that they are NOT the law or authority and they will NEVER be above them. One of a couple of things will happen - because it has to:

1. Removal of the refs in "default" and additional training for existing refs. This stops the complaints and cleans things up plus it doesn't change the balance.

2. The FA becomes more dictatoral and tougher on clubs. This is my preferred approach along with ensuring racism is kept in check. Clubs can not be allowed to run amock and attempting to subvert the game to benefit themselves.

Everyone has to play by the same rules - putting up with the rough with the smooth. No club will always win forever and it will always be cyclical process.

Apparently Clattenburg's Geordie accent was to blame for Mikel misunderstanding what he said.

Cue weeks of Chelsea getting nothing from refs and Di Matteo whinging his arse off

I hope he gets sacked, the horrible cheating twat. No love lost here.

Shane, You're right my suggested punishment is tongue-in cheek. I think Clattenburg will be on the end of a big settlement for defamation. That's UK law. But in football law, I think it's critical that the Premiership comes down strongly on a club that makes such accusations without adequate proof. Or where will it all end? Where Sam suggests?

You know what I'm becoming really disillusioned with football.

@Peter Hall How on earth are you one to judge anyone. How have you any idea what happened and who said what? You are making scurrilous comments about Mikel without having a clue on what was said. Grow up.

When you look at the behaviour of the officials and players of the wealthiest clubs it makes you appreciate that, for all it's faults, our Club is pretty decent. I'm not talking about things that go on at Board level, I don't know enough about that, but people like Moyes, Osman, Hibbert, Jags, Baines and Neville would, I am sure, have a very succinct conversation with someone within the ranks getting out of order.

Have you heard? Some twat from Spain got called a Spanish twat during a game of football.

Dont like Clattenburg for obvious reasons so would only be too ready to disbelieve him.

However after all the racist , not racist etc etc incidents in the recent past does anyone else think like I do that if Mikel had been racially abused by the ref then the former would have walked off the pitch immediately to complain or at least gone to the sideline to speak to Di Matteo.

My opinion is that Chelsea have concocted this story in the dressing room after the game as they feel the ref cost them. the game.

Too true Ian McDowell. What is racism? I'm not sure I know anymore...

I've got to agree with all the posts on here, whilst Clattenburg is a tool, I can't believe he would throw his career down the pan in this way.

I smell a big Chelsea rat here: Clattenburg had the cheek to send off star man Torres for diving... surely not, he never dives does he?

Couple this with the John Terry stuff and it just looks like they are trying to deflect criticism away from the club. They are a joke and it's only their own fans who don't know it.

Mick @703 – this is what I wrote about Mikel:

"Leaving Mikel. I know nothing about him to disqualify him as a witness but nor do I know his opinion to be worth setting against four match officials. Could he be mistaken?"

And this is what you said:

"How on earth are you one to judge anyone. How have you any idea what happened and who said what? You are making scurrilous comments about Mikel without having a clue on what was said. Grow up."

You sound a little disturbed. "Scurrilous comments"? You sound very disturbed.

The whole case is beginning to unravel. It's transpired that Clattenburg did use inappropriate language to a Chelsea player.

He called Torres a striker.

I think we're all in agreement about Clattenburg: one absolute arrogant gobshite full of his own self worth. But I'm afraid these comments wouldn't have seen the light of day if Chelsea had gone on to win the game.

What makes me laugh is when I'm sitting having my dinner, in work, or listening to the pub reds absolutely slaughtering Chelsea as a club and its players.... Errrrr. Glass houses, stones? — dickheads. Oh them lovable kopites really are a joy to behold.

I couldn't (and still can't) get at all excited about this, so I thought (as an old arse) I'd read the thread to try to understand what all the fuss is about.

Not a good idea, haven't learned anything.

When I was young, black people were called "coloured" in polite company and "niggers" (okay, I've learned enough not to use that particular word these days) in other circumstances.

At Quarry Bank School, the Jewish boys (about 10% of the student body) were referred to as "the yids" and some would even refer themselves that way.

On balance, I think Sam Higgins #646 has got it right, I disagree with his first paragraph; but the other three seem to be spot on.

Why thank you, Ken, that's the kindest comment I've ever had on ToffeeWeb. Sniff, sniff.

Try not to be too overcome, Sam; after all it was really only a 75% approval rating.