Roberts hits out at FA

More recently, David Beckham publicly admitted deliberately fouling Wales defender Ben Thatcher in order to pick up a booking. Beckham confessed to a national newspaper that he did this deliberately as he was injured and saw it as an opportunity to get a ban out of the way whilst he was recovering.

Rather than punishing Beckham, the FA, in a move criticised by many as a whitewash, ruled that there was 'insufficient evidence' to prosecute the England skipper.

The 'insufficient evidence' included Beckham's account of the incident in the national newspaper, plus the live television pictures of the incident, viewed from a number of different angles.

The only evidence to convict Roberts was his account in the book. Iwan was punished. Beckham was not.

Unsurprisingly, Roberts is far from happy at the verdict.

"It leaves a bitter taste. There has to be some consistency," said the Gills striker.

"I'm very disappointed. It seems we have both done exactly the same thing, but I have been fined £2,500 and David has got nothing.

"I don't want to see people suspended and fined but there has got to be a bit of consistency.

"We did consider an appeal but we withdrew that, but now it does leave a bitter taste in my mouth.

"They said they didn't have enough evidence, but David admitted he had done it on purpose, which is exactly what I did.

"I have played 700 games in my career, been sent off twice and never been before the FA. I've got a good disciplinary record and I'm disappointed with the way things have been handled."