Exeter City’s Gary Caldwell has been banned for two matches and fined after his outburst at a recent match against Wycombe Wanderers
Things got heated at the end when a penalty was awarded against his team. He reportedly told the fourth official that the decision was “f***ing terrible” and “f***ing disgrace.” That’s when the fourth official called the referee over, and Caldwell got a red card.
He didn’t show up for the hearing but sent a written statement. In it, he accepted the charge and apologized. Caldwell mentioned that he felt the officials were unfair to his team. He even brought up a disallowed goal that he thought was wrong.
While he didn’t try to excuse his behavior, he argued that it was a reaction to the referee’s decisions. However, the commission didn’t buy it. They pointed out that he had ten seconds to think before he yelled at the referee. They said his actions showed a lack of self-discipline.
Since he accepted the charge and didn’t provide any past disciplinary records, he got the standard penalty. That’s a one-match ban and a £1,000 fine for abusing the fourth official. But because this was a repeat offense, they added another match ban and a £1,750 fine. It’s a tough lesson for Caldwell, that’s for sure.
