Kinnear's side are third from bottom after the Fulham defeat

Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear has been charged with improper conduct after his criticism of referee Martin Atkinson following his side's defeat by Fulham.

Kinnear called Atkinson "Mickey Mouse" after the official failed to award a free-kick in the build up to giving Fulham a penalty in the 9 November tie.

FA disciplinary chiefs wrote to the 61-year-old earlier this month to ask him to explain his comments.

And the Magpies' interim manager now has until 12 December to respond.

The former Wimbledon manager, who was appointed as Kevin Keegan's temporary successor in September, was furious with Atkinson after he failed to award his side a free-kick for what he believed was a foul on defender Claudio Cacapa by Andrew Johnson in the build-up to Fulham's match-winning penalty.

He said after the game: "Cacapa was on the ball and Johnson completely pushes him out the way, nicks the ball and gets the penalty.

"We have got the Mickey Mouse referee doing nothing. He's made an error that cost us."

Kinnear has been no stranger to controversy since taking over at St James' Park, ever since swearing 52 times during a furious attack on the media during one of his early press conferences.

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And it is not the first time Kinnear has landed himself in hot water with the FA over comments made about officials either, having spent his first two games watching from the stands as he served a two-match touchline ban imposed for calling a referee "Coco the Clown" during his days at Nottingham Forest.

The former Tottenham and Republic of Ireland defender has been in charge for eight games to date and has two victories and four draws - the last of them at Chelsea on Saturday - to his name.

However, he will take his side to derby rivals Middlesbrough on Saturday having seen them slip back into the relegation zone despite their heroics at Stamford Bridge.

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