English footballer gets 3-year ban for hitting ref

Published Nov. 11, 2011 12:54 p.m. ET

foxsports

An English non-league player has been banned from football for nearly three years for punching a referee after being shown a red card.

Josh McKenzie, who plays for sixth-tier team Redditch United, accepted a charge of improper conduct for striking the match official during a Southern Premier Division game against Chesham United on Oct. 15.

McKenzie was suspended by the Football Association until July 2014 and fined 250 pounds ($400). His registration has already been canceled by Redditch.

Maurice Armstrong, chairman of the FA's Independent Regulatory Commission, says Friday ''any physical contact against a referee, if proven, should carry with it a considerable sporting sanction.''