Dirty Tackle of the Day
Rochdale striker Calvin Andrew has been given a 12-match ban—one of the longest in Football League history—for elbowing an opponent during his side’s 1–0 win over Oldham in League One. The incident occurred away from the ball and was not seen by the officials.
According to The FA, “the standard punishment of three matches that would otherwise apply would be clearly insufficient,” so Andrew was given far more than the usual three-match ban for violent conduct.
Andrew’s ban matches Joey Barton’s for kicking Sergio Aguero in 2012. Only Eric Cantona’s nine-month ban for kicking a Crystal Palace fan and Rio Ferdinand’s eight-month ban for missing a drug test have been longer.
