Gregory hit with £12,000 fine and a touchline ban

John Gregory fined £12,000 and 3 match touchline ban

John Gregory has been given a £12,000 fine and a three match touchline ban by the FA at his hearing at Brammell Lane, Sheffield today.

The fine is of little consequence to Derby County as a club but the three match touchline ban could have a devastating effect on the Rams hopes of Premiership safety.

The touchline ban takes effect on the 25th Feb. Luckly this allows Gregory to be on the line for the crunch relegation battle with Leicester City which takes place on the 23rd Feb.
However Gregory will be in the stands for the little matter of the visit of Manchester United to Pride Park on Sunday 3rd March. Two days later on Tue 5th March it gets easier with the away trip to Arsenal. The final match in which John must sit it out is the away trip to Bolton, again a major relegation battle that the FA has seen fit to deprive us of our manager for.

Halsey report leading to the fine and touchline ban

Gregory was involved in an incident whilst still Aston Villa manager on Boxing Day 2001. The referee on the day Mr Halsey reported the matter to the FA in his match report and now the Rams are feeling the effect.
Derby County and Gregory himself begged the FA to be lenient with their punishment as the Rams have nothing to do with it and it may have a major effect on the team in coming months.
The plea seems to have fallen on deaf ears and the powers that be in English football didn't see fit to allow a struggling team to employ their new manager to the full. A more sensible approach would surely to have given Gregory a stiffer fine and be put on licence to behave himself in future matches.