Butt facing further ban
Birmingham midfielder Nicky Butt is facing a further two-match suspension after admitting a charge of abusive and/or insulting words towards a match official following his sending-off against Portsmouth on Saturday.
The former Manchester United star still has two matches of a three-game ban to serve for being red-carded by referee Dermot Gallagher for violent conduct after kicking out at Portsmouth striker Dario Silva.
But Butt has now also admitted an additional charge of using abusive and/or insulting words towards a referee’s assistant as he left the pitch shortly before half-time at Fratton Park.
The 30-year-old has requested a personal hearing when the FA disciplinary commission reviews the case on September 27.
But the standard punishment if found guilty would be a two-game ban.
Butt will already miss the Barclays Premiership games at home to Liverpool and away against Arsenal as a result of the red card for violent conduct. He served the first game of the suspension during last night’s 2-0 Carling Cup victory at Scunthorpe.
If an extra two-game ban is imposed following his admission of the FA charge, Butt will sit out the match game with Aston Villa and the visit to Blackburn.
