FA stand firm on Taylor ban

Proposed suspension extension rejected

Last updated: 18th March 2008

Martin Taylor Birmingham City red card Arsenal

Taylor: Served his time

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The Football Association have rejected Fifa's call to increase the suspension on Birmingham defender Martin Taylor.

Blues centre-back Taylor received a straight red card after only three minutes of the Premier League game between Birmingham and Arsenal at St Andrews at the end of February after breaking Gunners striker Eduardo da Silva's leg with a mistimed challenge.

Taylor has now served his automatic three game ban and he could return to the Birmingham side against Reading on Saturday.

However, Fifa's disciplinary chief Marcel Mathier recently urged the FA to consider extending the suspension.

But an FA spokesman has said that it would be 'dangerous' to inflict an additional ban upon Taylor.

Unreasonable

"It would be unreasonable at this stage of the season to change our disciplinary procedures purely on the basis of one case," said the spokesman.

"That would be a dangerous precedent to set.

"Serious foul play carries a three-match ban and the only cases where that has been increased is where there has been a clear case of intent and no-one is suggesting that happened in this case.

"We will be reviewing our procedures at the end of the season and consulting with the whole game, and dangerous tackles are certainly an area we will be looking at.

"We will also be requesting a meeting with Fifa for their input."