03 Mar 2017 11:18:32
If you ever wanted an idea of the state of the FA:
John Terry: Found Guilty of Racism 4 game ban
Bacuna: stood in front of an official with his chest barging the blokes shoulder - 6 game ban.
What a disgrace.

1.) 03 Mar 2017
03 Mar 2017 12:58:22
Bacuna was a disgrace and the punishment is just. The fact the FA got it badly wrong in the past has no bearing. You could argue they have tolearned. In essence, this could be seen as progress.

2.) 03 Mar 2017
03 Mar 2017 13:01:03
Your spot on Chris, outrageous ban how do they justify that. reckon it's because of who we are. Hope the lads go out and get a number of goals Saturday as an answer.

3.) 03 Mar 2017
03 Mar 2017 14:41:32
Yeah, that'll teach em.

4.) 03 Mar 2017
03 Mar 2017 15:11:56
Oh and the Blackburn (I think) bloke who pushed a ref got a 1 match ban, unbelievable.

5.) 03 Mar 2017
03 Mar 2017 15:20:27
A 6 game ban is a joke the linesman made a awful decision and bacuna acted bad but 6 games really was it that bad? Was the lineman hurt No was he able to carry on yes. Mendex don't slaughter the boy he was fighting for us we been without a win since boxing day he wanted to win so much. Good player i have him in myside any day UTV KTF.

6.) 03 Mar 2017
03 Mar 2017 15:26:21
Never progress when the Blackburn lad who pushed a ref got 1 match added on to his 3. The officials are awful yet untouchable and the FA make it up as they go along. What a joke.

7.) 03 Mar 2017
03 Mar 2017 15:27:42
I have to agree Mendax, Disgraceful behaviour = stiff penalty, sounds about right to me.

8.) 03 Mar 2017
03 Mar 2017 15:50:36
The 3 match was enough, if not there has to be consistency and a 4 match the same at the bloke from Blackburn. Don't understand how you can be happy with our lads getting punished worse for doing less that another? Especially when the two incidents we're a week after each other.

9.) 03 Mar 2017
03 Mar 2017 16:22:13
About right I think. He is a official of our great game it don't matter that he got the decision wrong fact of matter is he pushed his chest in the linos he's lucky he don't get done for assault because if you done that to a copper that is exactly what would happen silly silly boy.

10.) 03 Mar 2017
03 Mar 2017 16:40:11
Anyone remember Di Canio pushing ref at Sheff Wed? Ref fell over in a comical way. Point is what ban did he get. Laws are all based on precedent.

{Ed007's Note - I'm syure Di Canio got something like a 10 or 12 match ban.}

11.) 03 Mar 2017
03 Mar 2017 16:45:27
10 games and £10k fine.

12.) 03 Mar 2017
03 Mar 2017 16:46:36
6 games for Bacuna is about right then.

13.) 03 Mar 2017
03 Mar 2017 17:20:17
Walkthewalk, I'm not slaughtering anyone. I'm stating an opinion which, as it happens, many seem to agree with
Bacuna is not a "boy" he's a grown man. He needs to act like one
As fans, we shouldn't act like those awful parents who defend anything there little darlings do, no matter how atrocious.
I hear complaints on here all the time about players been treated like pampered prima donnas. Yet the minute one of ours gets a bit of "tough love" you fall over yourself to protect him.
Bacuna was wrong and so are you. The difference is, Bacuna probably knows it.

14.) 03 Mar 2017
03 Mar 2017 19:47:26
Have heard debate on radio this morning! Treatment of football officials is a disgrace. I have no problem with Bacuna barging or pushing opposition but this was an official,! In ice hockey they slaughter each other, in rugby they brawl as they do in American football. But they show 100 times more respect to their officials. How can we attract youngsters to take up refereeing if we tolerate this abuse?! I think we should sin bin for disrespect and as for 6 matches he was lucky. Forget this is a working class game that is a disrespect to working class respectful hard working people. UTV.

15.) 03 Mar 2017
03 Mar 2017 19:53:59
He deserves to be punished but come on 😂😂😂. it wasn't assault for one, and there hasn't to be consistency, what he did wasn't half as bad as the other incident but it got a heavier punishment? Makes no sense.

16.) 03 Mar 2017
03 Mar 2017 20:25:33
Bacuna was wrong and deserved to be punished, just can't see why he gets a worse punishment for doing less?

17.) 03 Mar 2017
03 Mar 2017 19:47:03
Yes he was a bit naughty but the Blackburn lad done the same thing and got a much less ban. I am not saying bacuna, didn't do wrong I am saying the bans was harsh and let's not criticise somebody who was fighting for our cause Bacuna was right the decision was wrong so why should the linesman get away scot free? Bacuna is trying to turn his Aston Villa career around he was fighting for something he thought was right don't tell me you haven't ever done the same?

18.) 03 Mar 2017
03 Mar 2017 19:48:09
Just something to throw into the mix, In the prem Villa had the worst cards record last year 81 believe it or not, we lead the pack again this year, we had 20 yellow cards inour first five games.
That needs to be addressed, bookings and players being sent off cost the team dearly, we struggle to win with 11 players what chance with 10.

19.) 03 Mar 2017
03 Mar 2017 20:50:36
I don't understand your point Dave? Bacuna deserved to be punished but it should be in line with what's dished out around the rest of the clubs. Also however the FA charging bacuna more for this than someone found guilty of Racism is an absolute disgrace, seems racism is still prominent in the game and the FA don't see it as much an offence as getting in an officials face.

20.) 03 Mar 2017
03 Mar 2017 22:27:14
My point is we have a very poor disciplinary record and it needs addressing, it`s not a healthy statistic to be labelled with.
10 yellows = 2 games, 15 yellows = 3 games, that is my point.

Also it`s not the first time Bacuna has lost the plot is it.
His ban is what it is, he committed the crime, he does the time.
There will always be inconsistency in dishing out penalties, it happens in civil law as well, that’s life.

21.) 03 Mar 2017
03 Mar 2017 22:54:07
I have to say, I'm really amazed this topic has generated so much debate.
It really is crucial that officials are allowed to govern games free from intimidation (because that's what it was) from players.
Bacuna was always going to get more than a 3 match batch for that reason. So, effectively we are arguing over the difference between 4 and 6 games, which is tantamount to 2 bald men arguing over a comb.

22.) 03 Mar 2017
03 Mar 2017 23:43:54
I get what some of you are saying regarding different people getting different treatment for similar offenses but I'm with Mendax. Bacuna deserved additional punishment over the standard 3 matches and I predicted he would get it after it happened. Even if its wrong the refs decision is final. Deal with it after the game through the proper channels.

23.) 04 Mar 2017
04 Mar 2017 10:02:00
No one (well I'm certainly not) saying he doesn't deserve to be punished but why isn't there consistency. Put it this way if Kodjia put his hands on a ref the exact same way the bloke from Blackburn did and then got a heavier ban, the fans would be ready to storm the FA head office😂.
The original post was actually saying bacuna was in the wrong but I was pointing out the FA clearly think racism isn't as serious an offence, and it's not just their failings of the past look at the Shelvey incident this season. So next time bacuna should just spout pure racial hatred at the lino and then he'll be back after 3 games.

24.) 04 Mar 2017
04 Mar 2017 10:20:22
Punishments need to start at the top. A ref or linesman at grassroots doesn't have any protection so examples need to be made. I doubt if any of us were linesman on a Sunday morning we'd be happy with being chest barged by a player.

25.) 04 Mar 2017
04 Mar 2017 11:15:45
Raking over, then comparing and contrasting different decisions is truly pointless. You will always find something that suits your argument because these decisions are always subjective. And of course people make mistakes
The question is, was Bacuna's punishment, as a stand alone decision, forgetting any other decision, a fair one? In my view, and for the reasons already stated it was
Dragging up lenient decisions from the past is petulant. Bacuna seems to have taken the decision on the chin; maybe we should show some dignity and do the same rather than try to defend the indefensible.

26.) 04 Mar 2017
04 Mar 2017 19:13:43
Shelvey got a 4 game ban for racism about a month ago, Akpan got a 4 game ban for pushing a ref two weeks ago. No one has tried to defend Bacuna, everyone is in agreement that Bacuna deserved punishment. I was questioning how the fa came to a 6 match ban when they dished out lesser bans for much more serious offenses. As Bruce mentioned in his press conference I hope they do challenge it as it makes no sense.

27.) 05 Mar 2017
05 Mar 2017 01:15:41
Yes, and the point should be that they should have got more.
Bacuna got what he deserved
Like I say, we could go on forever digging up previous cases to prove our positions and both of us could do exactly that
The question to answer is do you think players should get a 6 match ban for intimidating officials? Personally I do.

28.) 05 Mar 2017
05 Mar 2017 01:54:19
The thing with these Racism incidents is that they are purely verbal. Now i'm sure none of us condone racism and we all want to see it aggressively stamped out in football but in this country we have freedom of speech. You can say what you want and people don't have the right to not be offended by it. So long as its an isolated incident its not against the law as it doesn't constitute harassment and its not inciting violence from others.

Physical violence against another person is against the law. Which might be why you have seen longer bans for it in certain cases. If I remember right I think Suarez got a longer ban for biting than he did for his racist remarks. And Cantona got jail time. Personally i'd like to see stronger sanctions imposed by the clubs on their players if they act poorly. Drop them, give them additional fines, put them through the ringer publicly. Sadly though money always talks so Suarez can get his ban for biting and still get his big money move to Barca.

29.) 05 Mar 2017
05 Mar 2017 12:11:10
I agree mendax, they should get hefty bans for that's sort of aggressive confrontation with an official, however I also think no matter who you play for the punishments have to be equal, not just "he should get more because he plays for villa and he'll get more media attention for this" - and that's the only reason I can see why they would have done this, because it really is ridiculous, one rule for one and another for someone else. And Andy if you found guilty of racism verbal or not your guilty it's racism, and racism doesn't come under "freedom of speech".

30.) 05 Mar 2017
05 Mar 2017 16:22:13
Chris, I agree with you totally that racism does not come under freedom of speech
I just think if you are waiting for all decisions to be called correctly and judged accordingly, in an environment where such decisions are largely subjective, you'll be waiting a long time. That's why I think you can only look at a decision on it's own merits . Within those parameters, I think that this time the officials got it about right.

31.) 06 Mar 2017
06 Mar 2017 05:38:11
Look it up guys and you'll find it is. The price of freedom. What I don't understand is why the governing bodies haven't just come up with a comprehensive list of previous offenses and outline a set punishment for each offense based on what's previously been given which then becomes the precedent for all future occurrences - Which is then made public knowledge so the players, clubs are acutely aware of the ramifications. Then have a multiplier for repeat offenders.