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That has the be the worst thing I have seen in English footy for many a year, I really really hope he gets long ban and locked up for assult. Browns stamp on giggs was bad but nothing compared to that.

I have just seen it, that is a truly horrific challenge. The guy was out cold before he hit the floor and then had a seizure.

tell me more pls  City vs Pompey? who was the challenge on? did Thatcher get a red?

Yes the game tonight, the ball was running away into touch. Mendes the pompey player was running to catch it, Thatcher runs in trying to catch Mendes and leads with his elbow right into his jaw. Thatchers face is full of aggression and focused on mendes not the ball as he runs in.

A Yellow card was given, the ref CANNOT have seen it but all the pompey players were up in arms. Mendes was out and now in hospital. It is the worst I have ever seen, and that includes old Leeds players kicking chelski in the 70's.

Harry was just interviewed and could not believe it.

An absolutely terrible challenge by Thuger (Thatcher).

It was on Pedro Mendes. Both running for a ball Mendes go there first and Thacther ran straight into him, full pelt, elbow first on Mendes' chin.

Mendes is in hospital and the sick thing is that Thatcher will not get repremanded, because the ref booked him for the challeneged (another shocking decision!)

That rule is appauling.  Incidents like this need to be reviewed at a later date.  Just because a card was given is no excuse.

However, I think it's a rule that needs introducing now, then incidents from now on count.  I think if this incident is going to be reviewed and followed up upon, then a can of worms will be opened.

According to the paper this morning Thatcher can still be brought to the FA and be charged by them and probably will be in this case.

Can anyone direct me to a video of the incident?

This is not the first time Thatcher has done this.  A few years ago when he played for Wimbledon he did something quite similar and everyone said then how it was the worst thing they have seen for ages, although i can't remember the incident exactly it was terrible!  However, that incident for Wimbledon wasn't on its own, and anyone who has followed lower league football for years like myself will know he has form for this type of thing.  When Mansfield played Millwall in the cup in the mid 90's Thatcher was playing left back for Millwall and one of our players; Simon Ireland was running to touch to try and keep the ball in in a Pedro Mendes style and Thatcher ran over at full tilt looking at only the player and totally clothes-lined him WWF style over the advertising boards and into the crowd. - He was immediately red-carded and as he left the pitch one of our fans jumped over the rail and ran after him.  Instead of running down the tunnel away from  the action, Thatcher ran towards the 'fan' and both 'fan' and 'player' had to be seperated before a huge brawl started.  - he is an animal and has been since he was a teenager. He should not be allowed to play ever agian!

Put sky sports news on, they showing it and the one he did against the Sunderland player you mention.

I have to agree.  That was not football, that was assualt.  One of the worst things I've seen on a football pitch.

I remember Duncan Ferguson giving an opponent a Glasgow kiss then going on holiday.

Thatcher should be in real trouble today.

haven't got sky but remember it. - disgusting.

Thatcher's not on his own - some of these are pretty bad!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otjU40J9zcM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH5MyVrCXbE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH5MyVrCXbE)

The Thatcher assault. With a name tlike that you knew he'd be evil though ;)

does anybody know roughly what minute this happened??

Disgusting. I wouldn't care if he was banned for life.

My thoughts to Pedro Mendes.

Apparently on Man City's trip to China preseason he puntured somebodies lung having elbowed a player during a friendly. He was sent off in the same game for two bookable offences.

that was horrible, what a tw@t.

Thanks for posting the clip.  DISGRACEFUL!  He should get a life time ban and face criminal charges for assault for doing this.

Just been on the news that the police are also investigating it.

Good to hear. I've seen people arrested for less on CCTV.

How Pearce has tried to defend that I don't know.

Apparently he has apologised in writing.

Just saw this on skysports, it was against Sunderland and i think they said it was Nicky Summerbee.
It is worse!!!!

Dear Mr Mendes

I am really sorry for pounding your face in with my elbow. I don't quite know how it happened but I won't do it again to you. :D

Doesn't wash it in my book.  If it was the first time he'd ever done something like this, then maybe, but it's assault.

the link doesn't work for me - any one else struggling with it?

worked for me, really slow to download though, must be popular at the moment

Worked for me there again as well.

Maybe the boys in blue have something to do with the apology?

Pedro would surely have a case for prosecution if he wanted?

  Every season we see tackles that can be seen as career threatening.What Thatcher done was potentially life threatening with Pedro having a seizure.

  I just hope that Pedro Mendes decides to prosecute,because without a prosecution then the F A won't punish Thatcher with what he probably deserves.

  Also Stuart Pearce will be under a lot of pressure to do (in the supporters eyes) the right thing.

  What Thatcher deserves and what is the right thing to do is anybody's guess.Below is an extended clip of the challenge,turn the volume up and the horror becomes greater.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf92edgiFAw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf92edgiFAw)

I was dissapointed with Pearce's quotes after the game. IMO that is a 10 game ban challange. I would love to see Thatcher answer one question, 'was it intentional?' and if it answered no I would double it.

If he had accidentally caught him he would have acknowleged Mendes as he got up.

Thats at least his third strike, get him out.

Guys, I have deleted a couple of posts from this thread, the original tasteless comment, and the follow ups which quoted it ... hope you understand.

Cheers Kev.

got to be imprisonment, no doubt

No i don't understand, if he wants to say things like that then people should see it.

Here, here.

He should be banned.

Heid wouldn't stand for it!!

sigh .... 

blonde has a reputation for always being honest with the members, and always will be.

The comment that caused the offence was discussed by the Mods and it was decided that the member who made the post would have his account suspended for 2 weeks. He was also issued a final warning in that any repeat of such offensive matter would lead to a permanant ban from blonde.

The comment AND the replies that quoted it were removed to stop other people from having the same shock and outrage at the comment as those that posted a reply.

Im sure you can understand that if you reacted so strongly against his comment because you found it so offensive, why should we leave it on the board to offend other people ?

wether you agree or not, a decision was made to remove the post and issue a 2 week suspension.

Morning Kiv  ;scarymoment;

Good decision

I wonder if Thatcher will get a 2 week ban?

I wish people would stop referring to this as a 'challenge'. It wasn't! If you challenge you're making an attempt at the ball. Here the player eyes up his man and extends his elbow UFC style to take the opponent out. The intent here can only be to cause damage. I'm surprised he wasn't set upon by the other players. Don't understand what the yellow card was for (obstruction or what? Baffled). I think the players/staff/supporters showed great restraint (more than he deserved IMO). A lifetime ban, massive fine and time inside for that wouldn't be an over reaction....Football can't be seen as a freeroll for thugs.

 ;iagree;
What a great quote.

who was suspended for 2 weeks?

As a City fan i thought I would let the dust settle on this one.
I think the one point that messed this one up was that the ref didn't send him off. Even the most biased City fan would admit it was a sending off. If he had gone off it would have been less hassle to City as it felt to the public that he had got away with it and this caused even more bad feeling.
It is clear that Thatcher meant to catch him and there is no defence.
I hope Mendes is ok and that the FA can decide on an appropriate punishment and the sooner the better. As for police action I am wary on this as it would be difficult to determine which ones are for legal action and which ones are for the FA. Unless perhaps it was documented as to what is due for legal action and then at least we know where we stand.
There have been plenty of incidents in the past which in my view could be considered for legal action including a few by Roy Keane (have to show a little bit of biase) so as long as it isn't one rule for them and one for the other I don't mind.

I have watched this for the first time and i know its been discussed to death but just a couple of things i thought i'd chirp in.

The man city fans who booed should be ashamed of themselves and embarressed. When a guy is down for 3 minutes, has about 5 guys round him, its unlikely he is faking the injury.

With the high profile nature of this challenge, would you play thatcher again? He is going to be hated (and rightly so) at every ground he goes and its not as if he is a decent player anyway.

I would welcome the police getting involved in this incident. I know it sets a dangerus precedent but i think in this case its the correct action. As a celtic fan i never thought i would say this, but if Thatcher doesnt get police action, if I was Duncan Ferguson, i would be raging. He did a lot less and got three months.

Man city are a team i have a lot of time for. I respect their fans, i have like a few of their managers in recent history but i think this incident could lose them support unless they handle it properly.

I agree with the comments on booing a player down injured which ever club they play for, but it does seem to have become common place amongst all clubs. The fans have no idea whether a player is injured, but will boo anyway. Something that shouldn't be in the game, but I guess some of the injury fakers tarnish the reputation of the rest of the players.

Colemanballs Quote of the Year:

"Ben is distraught. I can assure everybody, this has hit the player very hard" - Stuart Pearce, referring to the elbow Thatcher.

Was announced yesterday that Man City had handed Thatcher a 6 game ban and fined him 6 weeks wages. They were saying that the length of the ban reflected the severity of the incident.......

But what they failed to say at the press conference was that 2 of the 6 games would be suspended and a further 2 of the 6 games would be suspended pending future conduct - so in effect the ban is only for 2 games and of course he's already served one of those two games by missing out of the game vs Arsenal.

Just hope the FA steps in and gives a proper punishment on the 12th September!!

The full details were in the paper, but a good headline spin.

I made that offending comment and subsequently got banned.
Clearly I didn't think before posting. I spent all of a second posting that and didn't think anything of it at the time. My comment was directed at the severity of the Thatcher incident and my dislike of the man. It was not meant to mean anything else.
I also left the office immediately after posting so had no chance to apologise before the ban kicked in.
I will not be posting here anymore as I don't trust myself not offend people anymore however unintentionally and would like to be able to continue reading the forum (oh yes you can't even read the forum when banned).
I have apologised on email to those who felt strongly enough to write to me.
Sorry.
No new posts asking about it please. This is for those who were upset at the time and this is my first chance to reply.

Well done for apologising, yt. 

Personally I thought your ban was ridiculous and that you should have had the chance to apologise/retract it.  Inconsistency, just like with Premiership refs, reigns supreme.

I hope you keep posting.

Everyone makes the odd mistake, no need to stop posting :)

thanks for the apology yt

as for the ban being "ridiculous" what the poster does not realise is that yt had already received a formal warning (after several seperate PM exchanges over various threads)  about previous posts in which he was warned that there would be a temporary ban if offensive posts were repeated.

In addition moderators cannot be expected to second guess a member's non response to comments objecting to the statement that people found offensive.

I know yt personally and like him. He's a nice guy. However we will follow through on the process we have for keeping blonde the type of forum that so many of us enjoy.

As far as we are concerned he is welcome to post in the future. If anyone is unsure of the content they are posting, they are welcome to contact one of the mods first for clarification

Tightend is right. In the past I have posted Jokes and "funny" pictures which have caused offence. The ban was not for the one issue and followed other warnings.

I just seem to post the wrong thing. When I saw the ban on my email that evening I was sure it was a mistake as I didn't think I done or said anything of issue. I do tend to say the first thing that comes to mind which causes problems. I will only post about poker from now on.

Indeed I didn't realise he was on a warning.  The original post stating the ban never mentioned a "history".

I'm curious as to why a two week ban?  Is there an official guideline for warnings & bans that moderators need to follow in regards to offensive remarks?

Welcome to my world.

It was a one week ban as it turned out. Much happens behind the scenes to keep a lot of the problems we encounter away from the public forums. There's no reason any history needed to be mentioned until you suggested the ban was "ridiculous", at which point I wanted to disabuse that notion.

We follow a procedure that has developed through time that goes...

PMs informing the member of a deletion and the reason why,

then only after repeated problems a formal warning,

then a temporary ban if the formal warning is "breached" (duration discussed on a case by case basis)

then a complete ban if all else fails


For cases of extreme severity stages in this process can be skipped.

In addition there is a quicker process allowing for bans of "spammers" making no other contribution to the forum



I'm happy to discuss with with anyone by PM, but don't intend to prolong this on this thread from here on.

OK, I have more questions so I'll send a PM rather than detract further from Thatcher's elbow.

Official Guidelines

Hoping that somebody dies of....

Old Age - no ban
Run over by a bus - 1 day ban
Charged by an angry Hippo - 3 day ban
Struck by lightening while out having a nice round of golf - 1 week
Struck by Ben Thatcher while playing football - 10 days
Crushed while being made love to by Colchester Kev - 1 month ban

 :D