Violence in football

[Jezzman]

Just read in The Independent that Ben Thatcher got an 8-game suspension for his elbow attack on Portsmouth's Pedro Mendes and on top of that a 15-game ban, which will be suspended for two years and triggered should the defender ever commit a similar offence. Thatcher was only given the yellow card by the ref.

 

Ben Thatcher's elbow on Pedro Mendes

 

In 2001 Roy Keane was suspended for 5 games and as I remember, was fined £150'000 for his attack on Alf Inge Haaland. After the incident itself Keane was given the red card.

 

Roy Keane's attack on Alf Inge Haaland

 

And who can forget Essien's attack on Didi Hamann in the Champions League. An attack that didn't even see him yellow carded. He was later suspended for only two days.

 

Essien vs. Hamann

 

When you look at these three incidents/violent attacks and compare them I can't see why Thatcher's are so much worse than the two others? Why does that call for such a hard verdict? Is it because it's an attack to head and not to the legs? Or are these three attacks just a perfectly good example of just how bad The FA deal with these suspensions?

[Bigal]

To be honest, Keane and essien's look the same however, the 5 game ban was more due to the intent that was later revealed in his book I seem to recall. And Thatcher has just gone out to hurt the boy. No if's, no but's, he has deliberately done to hurt him.

 

Therefore, the difference is intent.

[Cobs]

thought Keane got 3 matches for the red card and then a further 5 for admitting it was deliberate in his book?

 

 

Essien v Hamann was in Europe wasn't it? = feck all to do with the FA

[Buzz]

And there was a ball in the general area of the swinging boots/legs, Thatchers elbow was now where near a round object, except for Mendes's head.

[DonRafa]

Just read in The Independent that Ben Thatcher got an 8-game suspension for his elbow attack on Portsmouth's Pedro Mendes and on top of that a 15-game ban, which will be suspended for two years and triggered should the defender ever commit a similar offence. Thatcher was only given the yellow card by the ref.

 

Ben Thatcher's elbow on Pedro Mendes

 

In 2001 Roy Keane was suspended for 5 games and as I remember, was fined £150'000 for his attack on Alf Inge Haaland. After the incident itself Keane was given the red card.

 

Roy Keane's attack on Alf Inge Haaland

 

And who can forget Essien's attack on Didi Hamann in the Champions League. An attack that didn't even see him yellow carded. He was later suspended for only two days.

 

Essien vs. Hamann

 

When you look at these three incidents/violent attacks and compare them I can't see why Thatcher's are so much worse than the two others? Why does that call for such a hard verdict? Is it because it's an attack to head and not to the legs? Or are these three attacks just a perfectly good example of just how bad The FA deal with these suspensions?

 

 

Yes, it is for me. Mendes had a seizure afterwards, a sign of brain trauma. Thankfully there appears to have been no lasting damage. However, that forearm smash could easily have led to a serious, even life threatening injury.

[Andy @ Allerton]

The should have those guns from Aliens stationed at Old Trafford at every game cept when we're there..

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

A slight sideline but - didn't Kean(o) claim in his book not to even have waited to see the red card, to have started walking straight away? Video evidence suggests otherwise, the s****house c***.

 

I really had forgotten how much I hate him until just now.

[JohnnyH]

I never forget.

[floyd]

The lack of reaction, when that snidey cvnt went in on Didi, from our players was very disappointing. Seems as though Stevie doesn't like stirring it up with the Russians. It's matches like these when I wish we had a clone of Souness in the side.

[Cobs]

A slight sideline but - didn't Kean(o) claim in his book not to even have waited to see the red card, to have started walking straight away? Video evidence suggests otherwise, the s****house c***.

 

artistic licence

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

he was anything but an artist though.

 

A piss-artist, maybe