NEWCASTLE - Newcastle United team-mates Kieron Dyer and Lee Bowyer apologised to "everyone connected to the club" after they were sent off for fighting each other late in their side's 3-0 home defeat by Aston Villa yesterday.
The two England internationals were involved in the remarkable bust-up eight minutes from time when Newcastle were already down to 10 men after Steven Taylor had been sent off for handball.
It was a dreadful turnaround for the club only a day after the good news that striker Alan Shearer had decided to play on for another year. Both Dyer and Bowyer appeared at a post-match news conference to offer their apologies.
"We would like to apologise to the fans, the chairman, the management staff, all the players, to everyone connected with Newcastle, my family and everybody who witnessed what happened," said Bowyer, who left the field with a huge rip down the front of his shirt.
"We are sincerely sorry," added the midfielder, no stranger to controversy in his days at former club Leeds United.
Dyer, booed by the Newcastle fans earlier this season for refusing to play out of his preferred position, said: "We are team-mates, we have disagreements but we should not be fighting in front of 50,000 people. We are deeply sorry."
Manager Graeme Souness, a renowned hard man midfielder for Liverpool and Scotland, said: "I've never witnessed that before. It's a first for me."
Souness said Dyer appeared to be the innocent party.
"I have been told by Dyer that he did not throw any punches, he was on the receiving end.
"Bowyer was indefensible. He was guilty of throwing more than one punch and has to accept any punishment coming his way."
Souness said that the two players would be subject to internal discipline but said he expected both to continue playing at the club.
"I can envisage both of them playing again, but if it ever happened again that would be it for the pair of them. They've hurt the customers today."
Souness said frustration at the way the game was going and at penalty decisions - one not awarded to Newcastle and one of the two that went to Aston Villa - were probably a factor.
"Anyone who sees those pictures will find it hard to understand how team-mates act like that," he said.
"I'm not condoning what they did in any way but the referee had a very disappointing game and the frustration our players felt going down 3-0 has shown itself with someone wanting to go boxing."
Juan Pablo Angel put Villa ahead after five minutes and Gareth Barry followed with two penalties to settle the match.
"It's been a very traumatic day for everyone," Souness said.
It was the first time that a Premier League club had had three players sent off for almost six years.
West Ham United trio Ian Wright, Shaka Hislop and Steve Lomas all went for early baths in a 5-1 defeat by Leeds in May 1999.
In 1979, Charlton Athletic's Mike Flanagan and Derek Hales were sent off for fighting each other five minutes from the end of an FA Cup match against non-league outfit Maidstone United.
Ex-England internationals David Batty and Graeme Le Saux were fined and suspended by UEFA in 1995 for exchanging blows as they played for Blackburn against Spartak Moscow in the Champions League.
In matters of football, Chelsea maintained their charge towards a first league title for 50 years as a deflected Frank Lampard free kick and two Eider Gudjohnsen goals gave them a 3-1 win at Southampton.
Lampard's long-range effort put them ahead after 22 minutes and a great run by defender Glen Johnson set up Iceland's Gudjohnsen for his first after 39.
Southampton, hovering one place above the relegation zone, hit back through Kevin Phillips in the 70th minute but Gudjohnsen finished off a sweet passing move six minutes from time to put the game beyond doubt.
The victory puts the Blues to 80 points - 13 ahead of the pack.
Arsenal nosed ahead in the battle for second as Thierry Henry - who missed France's World Cup matches last week with a calf injury - scored a second successive league hat-trick at Highbury in a 4-1 victory over Norwich City.
Henry, who scored all three when Arsenal beat Portsmouth 3-0 a month ago, netted after 19, 22 and 66 minutes to take his club tally for the season to 30. Sweden international Freddie Ljungberg grabbed the other for the Gunners.
Darren Huckerby briefly gave Norwich some hope when he scored after 30 minutes to make it 2-1 but the result anchors Norwich at the bottom of the table, with relegation looking increasingly likely.
The result took the champions to 67 points, above Manchester United on goal difference after their rivals were held to a goalless Old Trafford draw by Blackburn.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said: "Today was an interesting day for us. Manchester United dropped points and we are back into second and it's down to us now.
"In any other season, 67 points with seven games to go we would be fighting for the championship but Chelsea have an exceptional total."
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said that Blackburn, managed by one of his former players, Mark Hughes, were a hard team to play against.
United hit the woodwork twice in the first half before losing their way and Ferguson said: "They slow the game down at every opportunity and it works very well for them."
More bad news for United is that Ryan Giggs pulled a hamstring and will probably miss the FA Cup semifinal against Newcastle in two weeks.
Elsewhere, Liverpool beat Bolton Wanderers 1-0 with an 86th minute header from Igor Biscan to move to within a point of fourth-placed Everton, who play West Brom today.
Middlesbrough won 1-0 at relegation-threatened Crystal Palace with a first-half header from Franck Queudrue, while Charlton Athletic scored in the dying seconds to gain a 2-2 draw against Manchester City.
Jermaine Pennant, who was released from prison on Thursday following a drink-driving conviction, played with an electronic prisoner's tag on his ankle for Birmingham City, who drew 1-1 at home with Tottenham Hotspur.
- REUTERS
Soccer: Newcastle crash as team-mates trade blows
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