ALAN Smith's decision to contest a charge of improper conduct for bottle throwing sums up the unreal world in which football players live.

If he is successful with his case against the FA charge it will presumably mean that throwing a plastic bottle into a crowd of spectators constitutes proper conduct.

To ensure some degree of sanity in the game the FA must drive home the message that throwing bottles from the pitch into the crowd is not proper behaviour.

They should then punish Smith again for having the gall to try to get away with it.