Video replays appeared to show Beckham's elbow striking Bowyer during the match - won 1-0 by Leeds - but referee Jeff Winter, who awarded a free-kick, did not report the incident.

That means the England captain will face no further investigation from the FA, and United boss Ferguson said: 'I had a meeting with David about the incident.

'He really didn't think he had done anything wrong at the time. I believe there was no intent on David's part and that it was simply a clumsy challenge.

'The fact the FA decided not to do anything about it confirms my opinion.'

But Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger - whose striker Thierry Henry faces an FA probe over an alleged elbow on Charlton's John Robinson the same weekend - has called for video evidence procedures to be looked at again.

Wenger voiced fears of double standards and added: 'It's all about whether you should overrule the referee or not on the basis of what you see on video evidence.

'I'd say that you should overrule if the referee is not in a position to see what really happened.

'If the whole country is convinced that Beckham made an elbow and you cannot overrule it, is that right or not?

'If Beckham has used an elbow and you show the evidence to the referee, do you think he'll say that he has seen it? No, he will say that he hasn't seen it.