Referee Mark Clattenburg Denies Using 'Inappropriate Language' As Police Investigate

EPL referee Mark Clattenburg will formally deny allegations he used "inappropriate language" toward Chelsea players Mikel John Obi and Juan Mata, with the Metropolitan police "now having launched its own investigation," according to the PA. Clattenburg "has been shocked and angered" at being accused by Chelsea of using comments that have been interpreted as racist during its defeat by ManU on Sunday. The Metropolitan police confirmed they had acted on what they described as a "complaint" made by the Society of Black Lawyers. A statement from the force read: "An investigation has been launched into alleged comments made during a football match between Chelsea FC and Manchester United FC at Stamford Bridge on 28 October 2012" (PA, 10/30). The PA's Ben Rumsby reported that the police probe came less than 24 hours after the FA launched its own investigation, which "it must now decide whether to continue or postpone until after potential criminal proceedings are concluded." The referee, his assistants and the fourth official are "understood to have been stunned by the claims," and deny "hearing anything of that nature" via the officials' microphone link-up (PA, 10/30).