Steve Bruce vs Gus Poyet: 'Buckets of drinks' to blame for touchline scuffle, says Sunderland manager Poyet
The Sunderland manager was sent to the stands after the altercation
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Your support makes all the difference.The Sunderland manager Gus Poyet has blamed 'buckets of drinks' being placed near him for sparking a touchline altercation with Hull boss Steve Bruce during the teams' 1-1 draw.
Poyet appeared furious with a refereeing decision and kicked over a cooler of Lucozade bottles, for which he was sent to the stands.
Before leaving the touchline he angrily confronted Bruce, sarcastically applauding his opposite number, before the Hull manager had to be forcibly restrained from lunging towards Poyet by the assistant referee Stuart Burt.
"In football things happen," Poyet told the BBC. "I was sent off for kicking the bucket. I have to convince the officials not to put any buckets of drinks around me. I have no regrets whatsoever.
"If that is a bad image for football I am sorry but I don't think it's something to worry about."
Bruce played down the incident, which was sparked by Sunderland's Jack Rodwell being booked for diving after Hull had taken a 1-0 lead thanks to Dame N'Doye's strike.
"From Gus's reaction he thought the decision was wrong," Bruce said. "You have to ask him why he came over to myself. I don't know what I was supposed to have done.
"These things happen in the heat of the moment. Grown men acting like a couple of children. They happen in big games.
"Let's go and have a glass of red. I hope he's OK."
Poyet watched from his new vantage point high up in the KC Stadium as Jack Rodwell netting a second half equaliser from close range after a fine cross from Patrick van Aanholt.
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