It was, of course, a mere formality that the Football Association would charge Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew with improper conduct.

How hard will the book will be thrown - that's the real question. Pardew has to face punishment that is meaningful - that sends a strong message. But with Newcastle having nothing left to play for other than pride, a stadium ban for the rest of the season isn't going to hurt that much.

Newcastle United is not a club renown for being sure-footed when it comes to public relations but, on this occasion, it deserves credit for acting quickly. By the time Match of the Day was rolling on Saturday evening, news was breaking of a £100,000 fine and a warning for the manager.

In the world of Premier League football, £100,000 amounts to a few weeks' wages. Nevertheless, it is a relatively hefty penalty in the context of football fines and the decisive action took some of the sting out of the PR disaster that was unfolding.

Newcastle's former chairman Freddy Shepherd says the FA will now make an example of Pardew - and so it should. He not only brought his club into disrepute but football in general.

Far too much has been made about passion in football and how he acted in the heat of the moment. It's pathetically weak mitigation. Football managers are well paid for dealing with pressure, and if any fans had allowed their passions to get the better of them in such a way, they would have been unceremoniously dragged from the ground.

Many will take the view that Alan Pardew is lucky to still have his job but repairing the damage to his career will be a hard slog. He has to instill respect and discipline into his players. How can he do that while carrying round baggage as someone with an anger management problem?