As Chelsea and Manchester United prepare to renew hostilities tomorrow, experience suggests that feathers and fists may continue to fly after the final whistle. A post-match brawl last April involving Patrice Evra and a member of the Chelsea groundstaff will be the subject of an FA hearing on October 2 and Rio Ferdinand will no doubt feel the need to seek out and offer another apology to the female steward whose shin he accidentally kicked in frustration after the acrimonious fixture last season.

Ill-feeling remains between the clubs over post-match events at Stamford Bridge, with United alleging in a formal complaint to the FA that Sam Bethell, the Chelsea groundsman, had racially abused Evra. The left back was charged ten days ago with improper conduct and Chelsea were charged for breaches of FA regulations, with the statement from Soho Square saying that the London club had failed to ensure that their employee “conduct himself in an orderly fashion and/or refrained from any one or a combination of racist and/or abusive and/or provocative conduct and/or language”. Bethell was suspended by Chelsea as the investigation began.

Troubled flared after the game on April 26 when Chelsea's groundstaff demanded that United's players, who were going through their post-match warm-down on the pitch, moved so that the grass could be cut. Witnesses said that a United player swore in response and that the situation quickly deteriorated, with two separate clashes involving up to 30 people.

United players claimed that Bethell called Evra a “f***ing immigrant”, an allegation that he and Chelsea deny. Photographs showed Bethell and Evra preparing to swing punches at each other.

Sir Alex Ferguson said yesterday that Evra will have “a fair case” when he goes before the FA on October 2. Asked whether he was concerned about tensions resurfacing, the United manager turned to humour, suggesting that Chelsea's groundstaff might have traded in their lawnmowers for something larger. “Maybe they'll have combine harvesters this time,” he said.