Bowyer banned after losing appeal

[Jager]

The 28-year-old received a straight red card from referee Mark Halsey for serious foul play for a challenge on Xabi Alonso, and although he launched an appeal which would have made him available for Wednesday's postponed Premiership clash with former club Charlton, his case was rejected on Thursday.

'Lee Bowyer's claim for wrongful dismissal was rejected at a disciplinary commission hearing on Thursday,' said a statement on the FA's official website.

'He will therefore serve a three-match suspension with immediate effect.'

Bowyer will miss the trip to Tottenham on Saturday, the Tyne-Tees derby clash with Middlesbrough two days later and the FA Cup third-round tie against Mansfield.

The ban could effectively signal the end of his spell on Tyneside with Birmingham and Charlton monitoring his situation after it became clear that he sees his future elsewhere.

The London club, where he started his career, have yet to show their hand but Birmingham made contact with the Magpies last week after aborting their move to sign him during the summer.

Bowyer pulled the plug on a switch to St Andrews after some of the club's fans protested over Steve Bruce's attempt to sign him.

Bruce, whose side ended their dreadful run of results with a 2-2 home draw with Manchester United last night, was furious at the time but has rekindled his interest.

The stumbling block could be the player's £35,000-a-week wages although, with the whole of January in which to work, City will hope they can come to some kind of compromise.

Bowyer's red card at Anfield was the fourth of his Newcastle career, which began during the summer of 2003 when he made a free transfer move from West Ham.

His first also came at Liverpool, while he was harshly sent off in a UEFA Cup clash with Heerenveen in Holland and then for his infamous disagreement with team-mate Kieron Dyer in a 3-0 home defeat by Aston Villa in April, an incident which is still the subject of court action.

Bowyer was named only among the substitutes for last night's game and, although manager Graeme Souness has insisted he does not want him to leave, his departure seems inevitable.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...353478&cc=5901

[kennethlindheim]

Its a fkn disgrace, it was never a red card tackle, and even more of a bitter taste that nothing more has been done to Crouch and Gerrard.