Barrow boss Mark Cooper has been handed an eight-game touchline ban after being judged to have breached FA Rule E3 back in August’s clash with Exeter City.
Earlier in the season, Barrow and Exeter City played out a 0-0 draw at Holker Street.
Now, it has been judged that Bluebirds boss Cooper used “abusive and/or insulting words” in the latter stages of the draw, leading to a touchline ban for the 53-year-old.
As confirmed by the FA, Cooper has been given an eight-game touchline ban and an a £3,000 fine for the rule breach. He will also have to attend a face-to-face education course for the breach, in which his language referring to gender was judged to have constituted an “aggravated breach”.
Barrow’s statement confirming the ban expresses Cooper’s disappointment at the decision, adding that the reasons for the ban will be considered with a view to an appeal once the reasons are confirmed to the club.
The next eight games…
Barrow are still in the fight to stay in League Two, so their next eight games will be crucial to their bid to fend off relegation to the National League.
Cooper’s ban will keep him out until April, meaning he will miss games against Exeter City, Harrogate Town, Bristol Rovers, Walsall, Rochdale, Scunthorpe United, Carlisle United and Leyton Orient.
As it stands, the Bluebirds sit in 20th place in League Two, five points away from the relegation zone. However, the vast majority of teams around them have games in hand, so their fight to stay up could go down to the wire.
