Added ban for Thatcher
The Football Association have hit Ben Thatcher with an eight-match ban.
The Football Association have hit Manchester City defender Ben Thatcher with an eight-match ban for his challenge on Portsmouth's Pedro Mendes.The challenge resulted in Mendes spending time in hospital after being left unconscious on the side of the pitch.
City were appalled by the challenge and hit their player with a four-match suspension.
Manager Stuart Pearce had hoped The FA would see that as punishment enough, but an Independent Disciplinary Commission hearing on Tuesday added a further four matches to his suspension.
Thatcher has already served two games of his ban and will now be out of action until the end of October.
The defender will have to toe the line in the future, as the commission opted to mete out a further 15-match ban, suspended for two years. This means that should Thatcher transgress again in the next two years he will be forced onto the sidelines for 15 games.
Thatcher's representative gave a statement outside The FA's headquarters at Soho Square.
He said: "Mr Thatcher accepts The FA's decision without question. Today Mr Thatcher expressed his apologies to all concerned.
"He wishes to serve his suspension, put the incident behind him and continue with his career."
