SHAMROCK ROVERS MANAGER Stephen Bradley has received an additional two-game touchline ban for breaching the terms of his initial one-game suspension during Rovers’ League of Ireland Premier Division victory over Shelbourne.
Bradley was banned from the dressing room and technical area at Tallaght Stadium on Sunday and was also prohibited from making contact with his players or staff from an hour before kick-off until an hour after full-time.
However, the Rovers boss was shown to be clearly issuing instructions to his side from the stand during RTÉ’s televised broadcast of Rovers’ crucial 2-0 success over Shels.
Photographs of the fixture taken by sports photography agency Inpho also show Bradley to be speaking into a walkie-talkie during the game. The FAI included one of these photographs in their reasoning for issuing to Bradley further two-game suspension.
Section 7.5, Regulation 10.5 of the FAI’s handbook says: “An official serving a suspension shall not attend the area immediately surrounding the field of play and is banned from the dressing rooms and the technical area and shall not have contact with any players and technical officials from 60 minutes prior to kick-off until 60 minutes after the final whistle has been blown.
“Breaches of this regulation shall result in a minimum one-match suspension and a further sanction if deemed appropriate by the disciplinary body.”
Bradley was initially suspended for one game after he heavily criticised match referee Damien MacGraith for awarding title rivals Derry City a stoppage-time penalty in last month’s 1-1 draw with Rovers at The Brandywell.
He will now watch Rovers from the stand on trips to Drogheda United on 18 October and Dundalk on 27 October.
Shamrock Rovers declined to comment on Bradley’s latest suspension.
