Six games and forty five thousand pounds. The penalty a sinner must pay for his crimes. Just son long as the sinner is black, French and plays for Arsenal.

So there we have it Patrick Vieira is now officially the nastiest, vilest creature that ever walked the earth. He is the devil, he is the epitome of everything that is evil and if he ever has children who could argue that they should not all be drowned at birth. Crippen, The Boston Strangler, and Margaret Thatcher are as angels in his company. If capitol punishment were still permissable he would be swinging from a rope before you could say Hanratty.

On the other hand that nice, lovable rogue Mr. Ruddock is now up there on a par with Mother Theresa. A loving, warm hearted and compassionate human being who would never hurt a living thing never mind tell bare faced lies to any repugnant little journalist who'd sell his grandmother for a quote.

When you watch the Vieira story unfold doesn't it just make you realise that racism and jingoism are alive and well in millennium Britain.

Do we conveniently forget the amount of intimidation and thuggery Ruddock has been involved over the years. Do we similarly forget how often he's been seen scrapping it out nose to nose with opponents up and down the country, or when playing for Liverpool against French opponents he was seen to suggest that all Frenchmen smell of garlic. Do we suggest also that we ignore Patrick's description of racist insults aimed at him long before the fateful events of his sending off.

Ruddock is a hypocrite, he's a gutless yob who hasn't even got the decency to shut the hell up and stay quietly in the background after all the rubbish he himself provoked. ' I was running over to calm it down'. My arse was he. He was running over to provoke a reaction and he got one, maybe it was one he didn't like much but that's his penance I suppose.

I don't want anyone thinking I'm condoning Patrick Vieira because I'm not. I've played enough football, been in enough scrapes myself to know that spitting isn't the done thing. There again I know that biting, pinching and pulling hair are equally as unmacho but I've seen alot of people doing them in a lot of places without a hint of remorse. Plenty of them have been those I wouldn't want to argue with for me wages every week.

Vieira doesn't deserve too much sympathy which is lucky because he hasn't been getting any, but I'll never have anytime for Ruddock after this. He has the cheek to claim to be the victim of some kind of moral violation, when in truth he himself is little more than a grass. He's out there on a pitch giving it plenty but as soon as the referee is in sight he's whining like a spoilt brat that he is the innocent party. What a complete tossser.

Vieira will do his time, he'll probably be the subject of a tirade of insults everywhere he goes and I wouldn't be suprised if he doesn't have to duck a few well aimed gobs over the next few months. You reap what you sow so he can't complain, but can anyone blame him for feeling slightly hard done by.

All the clap trap about I'd rather take a kick or a punch or even an elbow rather than be spat at. Tell it to Danny Thomas or Paul Elliot who saw their careers ended by such harmless kicks. Tell it to Gary Mabbutt who nearly lost an eye as a consequence of John Fashanau's elbow. Offer them the chance to wipe a bit of saliva off their mush or go through what they had to endure.

Vieira is a tall black Frenchman, he has been hung out to dry for what he's done, in fact everytime he's involved in any incident he's labeled a 'lunatic' or 'a madman'. Did QPR's Gavin Maguire or Dean Saunders take such hysterical response for tackles that finished peoples careers?

Racism isn't always as obvious as the alleged remarks made by Schmichel to Ian Wright.

What else is of difference to Vieira's treatment in comparison to the response made to others in similar circumstances?

Well let's just tread a few short weeks back before the West Ham fixture. Manchester United are playing Leeds at Old Trafford, the Leeds fans bait Beckham and no matter what its content that is all it is 'Beckham' baiting. His response to them? A two fingered salute right in front of the camera's, the officials and the away fans.

Only a week later and he's a Highbury. Again a bit of ' Beckham' baiting. It's no more than Peter Shilton took, or Stan Bowles took or our own Charlie George. Beckham's response again is to take it out on the crowd and he spits straight into the men, women and children sat in the front rows of the Clock End.

I seem to recall Tony Adam's being ridiculed at QPR many moons back, similar to Beckham he answered with a double two fingered salute. Unsimilarly to Beckham he was up on a charge at Lancaster gate and banned before you could say 'Posh Spice'.

Fans have always baited players and they always will, why are we meant to make such an exception for Beckham. Why is spitting into a crowd only considered worthy of 'would you mind awfully Mr. Ferguson if we had a little chat with David about his behaviour'? 'Oh, you would mind, alright then we'll be off. No offence meant Sir Alex. We're only the FA after all'.

The Arsenal supporters have often been accused of paranoia about how our players are made an example of. I'm one of them, I'm convinced there is some sort higher judgement when it comes to us. Don't make an example of Man Utd we don't want to upset them. Don't make an example of anyone else because nobody really gives a toss. But if it's Arsenal, well that's different. high profile, big headlines, it makes the FA look good, so everytime and anytime if it's Arsenal then do 'em.

So the ban has been handed out, the fine imposed on Vieira and he must serve his time.I have never suggested he didn't deserve to be dealt with. He deserved some sanction but think of Stamford Bridge and Fowler and Le Saux, think of Beckham, V- signs to Leeds fans, spitting at Arsenal fans, kicking Rednapp. Think of Ruddock tearing into a ruck of players determined to get a response and think of Michael Owen and two footed tackles. Then consider why they escaped the hysteria that has surrounded the Vieira incident.

In a court of law would the man who spat at someone in the heat of an argument be more severley dealt with than the man who has kicked his victim, who has elbowed his victim or the man who has punched his victim in the face.

If the law is an ass. The law of football is something considerably more stupid.