Guthrie avoids further ban

No additional punishment over Fagan challenge

By Rob Parrish   Last updated: 17th September 2008

Guthrie avoids further ban

Guthrie: No additional punishment

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Newcastle midfielder Danny Guthrie will face no additional punishment from the Football Association for the challenge which left Hull's Craig Fagan with a broken leg.

Guthrie scythed down the Tigers forward in the dying seconds of the Magpies' 2-1 Premier League defeat at St James' Park on Saturday and was issued with an immediate red card by referee Andre Marriner.

Fagan immediately got up from the crude challenge and played the final few seconds of the game, but X-rays on Monday revealed a fractured right tibia which will keep him on the sidelines for up to three months.

Guthrie will automatically serve a three-match suspension following his dismissal for serious foul play, but there had been calls for an added sanction after news of Fagan's injury emerged.

Hull boss Phil Brown was left fuming by the incident, stating that such behaviour needs to be 'kicked out of the game'.

Exceptional

But the FA have announced that the statutory three-game ban is the only penalty former Liverpool midfielder Guthrie will serve as they do not view the incident to be an 'exceptional case'.

A spokesman said: "Every sending off carries an automatic sanction under the current regulations.

"The FA doesn't have the power to extend automatic suspensions.

"The only circumstances in which we could take any further action would be to issue an additional charge against a player.

"This occurs only in exceptional cases, such as Ben Thatcher's challenge on Pedro Mendes in 2006."

Sliding scale

However, the FA spokesman also confirmed that an ongoing review of their disciplinary procedures could see such incidents subject to punishment in the future.

He said: "We are currently reviewing disciplinary procedures with a view to potential changes for next season and a sliding scale for red-card offences is one of the options under consideration."

Guthrie will miss the managerless Magpies' Premier League clashes with West Ham and Blackburn, and Tottenham's Carling Cup visit to St James' Park.

Comments (25)

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Craig Riley (Aston Villa fan) says...

I think the FA is rapidly becoming a laughing stock!! They go on about promoting the "Fair Play" and "Grass Roots Football" how can you teach kids who love watching and playing the game that a tackle like that is not acceptable when the FA dish out a measly 3 game ban and thats the end of it! Cantona got banned for months for kicking someone in the crowd which just left the guy with a muddy footprint on his jacket. Gutherie & Taylor break bones of other players and get a 3 match ban, how can this be? I think either the club or the player shoud pay for the medical costs of the injured player, and also the injured payers wages too. Why should the club that has lost a play for some time have to keep paying his wages through no fault of there own. Surely a financial hit hurts more to todays players than them just being banned for a few games as they are still being paid to watch it from the stands!!

Posted 13:37 17th September 2008

Harry Watson (Newcastle United fan) says...

Is anyone else out there depressed about being a Toon fan at the moment? I have been a fan all my life but now I'm getting to the point where I am actually slightly embarrassed about supporting them. I can't help thinking that it's the fans fault too? We've basically made our club unmanageable. In recent times we would protest about poor performance, Sheppard would cave in and sack the manager to appease the fans. Now we've forced out the owner and no manager will touch us, rightly so. I think it's time for Newcastle to go down and start again with less expectation and more realistic goals. I actually think Mike Ashley had the right idea, we can't compete with the big clubs so you have to have another strategy. Ashley made some poor decisions, like getting Keegan back in the 1st place, but I honestly think he'd have sorted us out given time.

Posted 13:24 17th September 2008

Richard Proctor (Rangers fan) says...

Why does everyone keep referring to this incident as a tackle? At no point was there any attempt by Guthrie to "tackle" Fagan. It was an assault - no other word fits the description of what took place.

Posted 13:08 17th September 2008

Ian Mcdermott (Liverpool fan) says...

Just to say that I agree with most of the commenst on here, Guthrie should have been given an extended suspension, (even though the phrase "what goes around comes around" springs to mind with Fagan). But with relation to the slap by Aliadiere quoted by Gregory below, the suspension was increased because Arsenal appealed against the initial suspension and lost, not because the FA stepped in.

Posted 13:05 17th September 2008

Peter Gallant (Aston Villa fan) says...

Should Craig Fagan so decide, there is nothing to stop him calling the police and having Guthrie arrested for assault. Just because it happened on a football pitch does not absolve the offender from prosecution. The ball (so to speak) is in Hull City's and Fagan's hands- often they decide not to proceed as the player involved is unlikely to view the incident in this manner. However, Joey Barton was charged with assault on his then team-mate quite recently so who knows.

Posted 12:44 17th September 2008

Andy Bird (Rangers fan) says...

I watched the incident on TV and couldn't help but be extremely annoyed by it. The manager of Hull is quite correct, this type of incident should be wiped out and in my own opinion be given more sever punishment by the authorities. In agreement with another comment - How can Aliadiere's "slap" be deemed worthy of a longer ban than an incident that leaves a player with a fractured tibia? It's senseless and with regards to a ban i think the punishment is simple - the guilty player should be banned as long as the victim, without or on reduced salary. Start hitting the players where it really hurts them and many of football's current issues will begin to disappear.

Posted 12:43 17th September 2008

Dan Tiseo (Arsenal fan) says...

Just a quick question. What is the point of the FA? The four game Aliadiere ban, The 8 game Vieira spitting ban whereas Guthrie and Martin Taylor get the three game ban. I think the Guthrie challenge is one of the most hideous things I've seen on a football field in some time. It seems to me the FA's approach is any form of assault with the legs is justifiable.

Posted 12:38 17th September 2008

Steve Bowling (Manchester United fan) says...

Ray Palmer has been reading my mind. You have it totally right. Let the ban equal the amount of time the injured player is out for in cases like this, where the intent was obvious. It doesn't help the injured player or his club, but would certainly bring back some discipline into the game. The guilty party would be crucified by his club and team-mates for letting them down. a few games missed is too easily forgotten

Posted 12:34 17th September 2008

Martin Cooper (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

Just read a comment about Guthrie being a thug...... Joey Barton is a thug. Guthrie is a top lad. I'm not saying what he done was right because it wasn't but at least he had the bottle to own up to his mistake and mentions that he wants to personally apologise. It was a red card challenge, and will serve his 3 game ban, end of story, end of the "Guthrie Fagan Incident"

Posted 12:33 17th September 2008

Ian Derby (Derby County fan) says...

Craig Fagan got what has been coming to him for a long time. As a Derby fan I have watched him for the last few seasons where he is the first one to be kicking and mouthing off at other players - he got what was coming to him.

Posted 12:03 17th September 2008

Gregory Monk (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

I wonder if the FA would have taken more action if the foul was against one of the top four? It is also ever so kind of the FA to point out that they only intervene in 'exceptional cases' such as Ben Thatcher's tackle, however i remember them getting involved with Aliadiere's 'slap' last year, how is that worthy of a four game ban and this one only worthy of three? Disgusting!

Posted 12:02 17th September 2008

Kevin Coatsworth (Newcastle United fan) says...

Understandably anyone who viewed the tackle couldn't help but be shocked and disappointed with Guthrie. In relation to Pete's comment below, to involve the police would be ridiculous and a disaster for any sport, as sports players would become reluctant to put in any hard tackles just in case it is deemed assault as it is a miss timed tackle or which ever. It is entirely up to the FA to decide the severity of punishment, which in this case, fair enough to say they have been lenient is an understatement, but the police should have no say in regards to any cases upon these grounds.

Posted 12:00 17th September 2008

Jack Price (West Ham United fan) says...

Complete disgrace, it is scary how inept the FA is. This was clearly not any regular sending off, Guthrie went in to hurt Fagan, and to turn a blind eye to such an asssult. The FA talks about respect for refs but what about for other professionals this could of ended his career, he's a classic thug in the Joey Barton mould.

Posted 11:58 17th September 2008

Mervyn Charles (Arsenal fan) says...

The FA have created a "cloggers charter" by their inaction in the past. They ignored the Martin Taylor stamp on Eduardo da Silva. They let Andy Todd get away with poleaxing Robin van Persie a few seasons ago. Is it really surprising that they would let the assault (how else can it be described) by Guthrie pass without taking any action?

Posted 11:56 17th September 2008

David Sandland (Arsenal fan) says...

Was this tackle not similar in nature to Roy Keane's challenge on Haaland a few years back? I realise that Roy Keane held a grudge against Haaland for the injury he obtained, however he took it out on Haaland later. That challenge was born out of frustration and anger towards Haaland, as such, as Guthrie has admitted that his challenge was also born out of frustration surely this should have the same conclusion as the Keane case? A suspension for the player that inflicted this injury on Fagan. Again as always a dinstinct lack on consistency in such cases!

Posted 11:51 17th September 2008

Rik Wolland (Wigan Athletic fan) says...

Utter disgrace. If this is not deemed as an "exceptional case" then what is? The guy said he did it out of frustration!!! Is this not the same as if for example some player from the opposing team kept elbowing you in the face by accident and then retaliate by smacking them in the face "in frustration" and the other player is left with a broken nose. My point is Guthrie basically assaulted Fagan.

Posted 11:49 17th September 2008

Peter Sharkey (Liverpool fan) says...

Was this the same Craig Fagan who stamped on Arbeloa's leg off the ball while playing for Derby at Anfield last year? I think so, he deserves all he gets.

Posted 11:37 17th September 2008

Peter Murphy (Hull City fan) says...

I thank all the proper FOOTBALL supporters for their comments. I attended the game and sat with Newcastle supporters who were shocked at the assault. If it had happened anywhere else it would be a court case. Double standards again from the FA, if this had happened to a Liver/Chels/Man U etc there would have been a full enquiry. Maybe we are not rich enough to deserve justice. Get well soon Craig.

Posted 11:37 17th September 2008

Bill Gaddess (Newcastle United fan) says...

He is a very lucky boy, he was well out of order and if I had been his manager he would be in real bother for that sort of behavior in any shirt let alone that of the club I support. It's worse due to the fact that every one is using Newcastle as a whipping boy just now. Also we wait with baited breath to see what other hate and sarcastic daft comments from fans of other clubs post? We read on with interest, I am sure we won't be disappointed?

Posted 11:31 17th September 2008

Justin Golding (Portsmouth fan) says...

This is a typical British reaction to an incident like this. Had this of happened on the streets and he broke someone's leg he would get arrested. Instead it was in an FA Premier League Football match which makes it ok to break people leg's purely because he can't control his temper. Absolutely disgraceful and yet again the FA make themselves look ridiculous. By quoting that 'only in incidents like Ben Thatcher on Pedro Mendes' condones people having a lash out at other players and unless it's potentially life threatening which fortunately for Pedro it ended up not being then the FA will 'have a look' at it. The worst run organisation on the planet.

Posted 11:19 17th September 2008
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