One of the strangest bannings ever?

**Mario** · 21/08/2010, 8:12 AM

Personally am amazed at what has happened here.

This ban was handed out not based on the referees report, or even the 4th officials report, but on the match delegate claiming to have noticed something. Yep, the person who job it is to check that team sheets are provided to the media and that the ref gets a cup of team at halftime is now getting involved in having players banned.

Twigg didnt go over the top on the day, he merely fell on the ground not far from where he scored and was booked by the ref. I cant see Rovers taking this lying down!

Fans winding up players and players sometimes winding up fans is all part of the attraction of going to games.

People, welcome to the world of the 5th official FAI nanny state reich!

**FrOsTy** · 21/08/2010, 11:00 AM

Can't help but think that if it wasn't against Bohs he wouldn't of been banned.

**bingoballs** · 21/08/2010, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by Jicked

Got a big game coming up? Bring a few plastic bottles!

According to today's Star and Mirror, Gary Twigg will be banned for two games for his celebration in this video

Twigg is already moving towards the Bohs fans after taking his shot, but stops himself 20 yards away and makes no specific or unsporting/crude gestures to the away fans.

Bohs will be fined €150 for throwing the bottles.

So, if true (which I still find very hard to believe), I'd recommend any fans who want to see a particular player banned for an upcoming game to bring a few empty plastic bottles in to the grounds tonight. At Rovers we've had particular trouble dealing with Greg Bolger in recent games against UCD so I'd appreciate any Fingal fans being able to help us out on that front tonight.

Seriously though, if this is true, one of the strangest disciplinary actions taken by the FAI?

I've seen Rovers players do far worse this season alone, and I've seen opposition players do even worse (that's before getting in to what Fenlon supposedly got up to with the Pats fans a few weeks back). I presume other fans have seen worse cases of antagonism in other games this season?

It really does seem that the ban has been issued because he had a load of bottles fecked at him. There's no way this could be upheld, right?

Poor old Gary Twigg, Michael O Niell and Shams are being hard done by, I think its brought a tear to my glass eye

**Dodge** · 21/08/2010, 1:52 PM

Originally Posted by **FrOsTy**

Can't help but think that if it wasn't against Bohs he wouldn't of been banned.

I don't mind that. I mean its obviously a tenser atmosphere tht most games and tbh if he done it against Bray or UCD it'd be slightly embaressing for him

I'd imagine he'll get off in the end. There's been worse cases unreported this year

**Rasputin** · 21/08/2010, 3:12 PM

Also the fact it was on live telly cant have helped.
Was Nutsy and Byrnes performance against Pats caught on camera?

**SkStu** · 21/08/2010, 3:31 PM

Originally Posted by Rasputin

Also the fact it was on live telly cant have helped.
Was Nutsy and Byrnes performance against Pats caught on camera?

totally different incident. In almost every way.

**Charlie Darwin** · 21/08/2010, 4:44 PM

Do we know what precisely he was banned for yet?

**Dodge** · 21/08/2010, 4:46 PM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Do we know what precisely he was banned for yet?

We don't even know if he's banned yet

**Charlie Darwin** · 21/08/2010, 4:48 PM

What an odd situation.

**FrOsTy** · 21/08/2010, 9:03 PM

Originally Posted by SkStu

totally different incident. In almost every way.

How?? Twigg banned for provoking fans. Nutsy and Byrne verbally abusing/reacting to pats fans or in other terms Provoking Pats fans.

**thischarmingman** · 22/08/2010, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by bennocelt

Exactly, Twigg did nothing wrong. Hate when fans give it large all game, cursing and swearing at players and then start moaning when a players celebrates "near them". Fickle

Exactly. It's all part of football and if a player puts up with abuse all night, it's the best, and the only way he can really respond.

**osarusan** · 22/08/2010, 10:53 AM

We really need to see what this ban is for before we can comment on it. From what I've seen on the video, it's a booking at worst, though I'm not sure it merits even that. If he did make some sort of gesture, the 1-2 seconds he's off camera mean that it can't be ruled out, then we'd need to know what the gesture was. Just as he goes off camera, he does seem to be doing something, but it may have been just a clenched fist.

The FAI will probably say something vague like 'inciting opposition fans' and nobody will be any the wiser.

**Jicked** · 22/08/2010, 5:07 PM

For what it's worth, Dessie Baker gave Pats fans the finger last year after they were abusing him non-stop during a game, that was caught on TV on a live close-up of Baker at the time. No ban was handed out.

BTW, the rule in question is rule 85:
'Any player or official who provokes the general public shall be suspended for 2 matches and sanctioned with a fine.'

I can think of a dozen or so incidents this season alone of a player (and didn't one referee make a comment/gesture to a Galway player?) so why suddenly starting enforcing this so strictly is bizarre.

**dong** · 22/08/2010, 5:27 PM

Another example of the over sanitisation of football. Why wouldn't he celebrate where he did? Ridiculous.
You dish out abuse at a player like Twigg and you always know there is a chance he'll sicken you with a goal. Part of the fun.

**SkStu** · 22/08/2010, 8:29 PM

Originally Posted by **FrOsTy**

How?? Twigg banned for provoking fans. Nutsy and Byrne verbally abusing/reacting to pats fans or in other terms Provoking Pats fans.

im surprised i need to point out the difference to you since you've touched on it in your own post. Twigg provoked fans vs. Pats fans provoked Bohs player and manager. Twigg during game vs. Pats fans during post game warmdown. You cant provoke and react at the same time, you react to provocation.

Originally Posted by dong

Another example of the over sanitisation of football. Why wouldn't he celebrate where he did? Ridiculous.
You dish out abuse at a player like Twigg and you always know there is a chance he'll sicken you with a goal. Part of the fun.

Agree. Plus i have seen way worse incidents of players "provoking" by celebrating in front of F&G.

**stamullendrog** · 22/08/2010, 8:37 PM

Originally Posted by Jicked

For what it's worth, Dessie Baker gave Pats fans the finger last year after they were abusing him non-stop during a game, that was caught on TV on a live close-up of Baker at the time. No ban was handed out.

BTW, the rule in question is rule 85:
'Any player or official who provokes the general public shall be suspended for 2 matches and sanctioned with a fine.'

I can think of a dozen or so incidents this season alone of a player (and didn't one referee make a comment/gesture to a Galway player?) so why suddenly starting enforcing this so strictly is bizarre.

the bit in bold there if theres a bottles thrown at a ref after a bad decision does he get a two game ban and a fine for provoking the crowd?just a thought like

**SkStu** · 22/08/2010, 8:41 PM

one more thing to say on this.

Players who provoke fans are idiots. Fans who react are idiots. Fans who provoke players are idiots. Players who react are idiots. Football is full of idiots.

**monkey9** · 22/08/2010, 10:15 PM

The only thing i can think of as to why Twigg has been banned is because it's not a once off. He continues to celebrate in front of Bohs fans over the course of a few matches at this stage. He does it in front of Pat's fans as well.

So maybe they just think enough is enough at this stage.

**Jicked** · 22/08/2010, 10:41 PM

You can't ban a player for that. That's like giving someone a two game ban because they consistently give away niggling fouls that are never enough to warrant a yellow card.

He's being banned because an FAI Match Observer, who's job is to make sure clubs supply enough bog roll in the referee's changing room, thought he saw Twigg give a V sign to Bohs fans, even though no-one else in the ground saw this, nor did any TV cameras.