Pulis rejects Taylor’s call for netting

Stoke manager Tony Pulis is against the idea of netting being put up at football grounds to stop items being thrown at players.

Professional Footballers’ Association chief executive Gordon Taylor made the suggestion in the wake of Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand being hit by a copper coin thrown from the crowd in Sunday’s derby at Manchester City.

Pulis said: “There were 50-odd thousand people there and we had a mindless few who caused a problem.

“All the time it’s about finding a balance because I thought it was a fantastic game, soured by a couple of incidents off the pitch. I’m not sure netting’s the right way of doing it.

“Hopefully, theses people will be found and then banned from football for the rest of their lives.”