City ban Thatcher for six games
Man City have suspended Ben Thatcher for six games after his challenge on Pedro Mendes.
Manchester City defender Ben Thatcher has been suspended by the club for six games after his horror challenge on Pedro Mendes, as well as being fined six weeks' wages.The City left back has been widely condemned for the forearm smash that sent Mendes to hospital last week, and the Premiership club have now imposed their own punishment on the Wales international.
Thatcher has been handed a six-game ban by Stuart Pearce's side, two of which are suspended, meaning he will miss the upcoming ties against Reading, Blackburn Rovers and Chesterfield after also being left out of the squad for the 1-0 win over Arsenal last Saturday.
As for the fine dished out by City, two weeks of the six will also be suspended, as they look to take a stance against the ugly challenge which was condemned by Pearce following the game.
City chief executive Alistair Mackintosh confirmed that the Eastlands club felt compelled to act with haste after Portsmouth midfielder Mendes suffered a seizure and was left unconscious in the ugly incident.
"As custodians of the club and football in general, the board and the manager felt it was important to act as soon as possible," Mackintosh told City's official website.
Thatcher has also been charged with serious foul play by the Football Association, despite being shown a yellow card at the time of the incident, with Greater Manchester Police also conducting an investigation.
