Phil Parkinson could be in hot water with the Football Association after his removal from the touchline in Bolton Wanderers’ defeat away at Leeds United last weekend, as per the Bolton News.

It was the third time Parkinson had been sent off the Trotters with referee Tony Harrington sending the 51-year-old to the stands.

Players and staff from both dugouts clashed shortly after Leeds had taken the lead at Elland Road – with Parkinson claiming the incident had been sparked by a home player squirting a water bottle at Joe Williams

The Bolton boss then confronted Leeds defender Pontus Jansson but was adamant he did nothing to be issued with a red card.

Last season Parkinson was sent off twice – in games against Sheffield Wednesday and Queens Park Rangers.

And with this red card, the Bolton boss will surely be issued with an indictment by the FA over the fracas on the touchline.

Parkinson told the Bolton News: “There was a brawl where we were stood just outside the technical area, and every member of both benches was over trying to separate, and the ref came over and sent me off.

“I am going to ask the ref why their manager was not sent off because he was outside the technical area doing the same, so were all their staff.

“No-one could see that escalating into a brawl.

“One of their players poured a bottle of water over Joe Williams’s head, and that kind of started it. Nobody

The verdict

This was all handbags at dawn and much ado about nothing, in all honesty.

Parkinson can protest his innocence, but he should not have confronted a Leeds player.

The start of the issue had nothing to do with either of them so for it to go as far as it did was a little untoward.

But if he is to stand a charge for being sent off, then I don’t think he can have any complaints.

In hindsight, the whole water incident got blown out of proportion.