10 Most Controversial Premier League Moments
3. Alan Pardew Loses His Head, Into David Meyler’s Face
Well-travelled Alan Pardew has suffered more than his fair share of scrapes during a turbulent managerial career to date.
He famously clashed with opposing bosses Arsene Wenger, Martin O’Neill and Manuel Pellegrini in the past, but none came close to the head-to-head combat he laid on Hull City’s David Meyler after what appeared to be an innocuous coming together.
Former Sunderland man Meyler brushed Pardew out of his way to retrieve the ball after it had gone out of play, only for the then-Newcastle United manager to throw a headbutt in the bemused midfielder’s direction.
It was perhaps the craziest moment in Pardew’s footballing life, made even more nonsensical by the fact that his Magpies were sitting on a 3-1 advantage. He got charged with a £160,000 fine and a three-game stadium ban, topped up by a further four-match enforced hiatus from the touchline.