FA Reveals 7 Match Ban Details for Swindon Captain Ollie Clarke

SWINDON : The Football Association (FA) has released the written reasons behind the seven-match suspension handed to Swindon Town captain Ollie Clarke, describing his conduct as “highly violating and intentional foul play.”

The 33-year-old midfielder was sanctioned in December following incidents that occurred during Swindon’s 2-1 League Cup loss to Cardiff City in August. According to an independent FA regulatory commission, Clarke committed fouls on the “private body parts” of two separate opponents.

Despite Clarke maintaining his innocence throughout the proceedings, the commission dismissed the player’s assertion that the contact was accidental.

“The commission did not accept the player’s view that neither of the acts were intentional,” the written reasons stated. “The commission recognised that there was no plausible explanation to be touching an opponent’s private body parts during a game, especially when the match itself was not in motion.”

In addition to the seven-match ban, which Clarke began serving last month, the midfielder was hit with a £2,750 ($5,518) fine. The FA emphasized that the nature of the contact warranted a significant penalty to uphold the standards of the game.

The ruling has cast a shadow over the League Two veteran’s season, marking one of the most unusual and severe disciplinary actions seen in the English fourth tier this year.