The Football Association has written to the Newcastle United interim manager Joe Kinnear asking him to explain his comments following United's 2-1 defeat at Fulham on Sunday when he branded Martin Atkinson "a Mickey Mouse ref".

Kinnear was furious after Atkinson awarded Fulham a penalty mid-way through the second half after Fabricio Coloccini tripped the Fulham striker Andy Johnson in the box. Just prior to that offence, however, Johnson appeared to shove the Newcastle defender Caçapa.

"If we'd had a proper referee we'd have come away with something," said Kinnear after the defeat that left Newcastle in the Premier League's relegation zone. "It was a blatant foul, a blatant push prior to the penalty, and he ignores it. Johnson completely pushes Caçapa out of the way - straight hands, just a push. Sure, he went over a little bit too easily for a centre-half and then [Coloccini] has made a silly challenge. But it was just a Mickey Mouse ref doing nothing."

"The FA has written to Joe Kinnear to ask him to explain his comments about referee Martin Atkinson following the game at Fulham," said an FA spokesman today. Kinnear has a week to respond to the request, after which disciplinary chiefs will decide whether or not a charge will follow.