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FA hand Pardew 7-match ban

London - Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has been given a record seven-match suspension and a £60 000 fine for headbutting Hull City midfielder David Meyler, the Football Association announced on Tuesday.


The 52-year-old will be banned from attending Newcastle's games for the first three matches of the suspension, with the remaining four matches to be served as a touchline ban.

It is the longest ban to be handed to a English Premiership manager since the English top flight was rebranded in 1992.

"Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew will serve a seven-match suspension with immediate effect, subject to any appeal, after he admitted an FA misconduct charge," read a statement on the FA website.

"An Independent Regulatory Commission today (Tuesday 11 March 2014) ruled the first three matches imposed are a stadium ban with the remaining four a touchline ban.

"Pardew was also fined £60 000 and warned as to his future conduct."

Pardew learnt of his suspension after appearing before an independent disciplinary commission at Wembley Stadium in London on Tuesday and subsequently released a statement expressing regret for his behaviour.

"As I have made clear, I deeply regret the incident and again wholeheartedly apologise to all parties for my conduct, which I understand was not acceptable," he said.

"I will accept the punishment handed down by the FA today (Tuesday).

"My focus now turns to preparing the team for this weekend's game against Fulham and finishing the season as strongly as possible."

The incident occurred during Newcastle's 4-1 victory at Hull in the English Premiership on March 1, with Pardew sent to the stands after moving his head towards Meyler during a touchline confrontation in the second half.

He apologised in a live television interview broadcast moments after the final whistle, describing his behaviour as "a heat-of-the-moment thing", but was given a £100 000 fine and a formal warning by his club.

The stadium ban covers Newcastle's games against Fulham, Crystal Palace and Everton, while Pardew will be banned from the touchline for fixtures against Southampton, Manchester United, Stoke City and Swansea City.

It is not the first time that the former Crystal Palace midfielder has got himself in trouble over his conduct on the touchline.

In 2006, while manager of West Ham United, an exuberant goal celebration led to a shoving match with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and in March 2012 he clashed with Sunderland manager Martin O'Neill.

Later that year he shoved an assistant referee in a dispute over a throw-in during Newcastle's opening game of the season at Tottenham Hotspur, earning him a two-game touchline suspension and a £20 000 fine.

In January, this year, meanwhile, he was obliged to issue an apology after being caught on camera shouting obscenities at Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini during a match at St James' Park.

Meyler, a 24-year-old Republic of Ireland international, made light of his altercation with Pardew when he celebrated his goal in Hull's 3-0 FA Cup win over Sunderland on Sunday by headbutting a corner flag.

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