Guthrie is a lucky boy

Filed in archive Premier League 2008-09 on September 17, 2008

The Football Association have announced that despite almost everyone in the game agreeing that Newcastle midfielder Danny Guthrie should receive further punishment, he will, in fact, escape with just the mandatory three match ban.

The wild tackle which he admitted was deliberate and borne out of frustration broke the leg of Hull City striker Craig Fagan.

However, the FA revealed it could only take further action if it levelled a fresh charge against the player.

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."

However, the FA spokesman also confirmed that an ongoing review of their disciplinary procedures could see a sliding scale introduced to increase punishments for serious offences.

Who's rules are the FA hiding behind here? I would guess that they are their own. If so, can't they just change them. They are the FA after all!

In this case, Hull manager Phil Brown said that an automatic three-match ban was "insufficient punishment". Professional Footballers' Association chief Gordon Taylor added that Guthrie's actions were "not acceptable".

Guthrie has since apologised, insisting he is not a dirty player, but Fagan will be out for six weeks as a result of his deliberate actions.