10 Of The Longest Bans In English Football History

Sports Lens

05 April 2023

Aleksandar Mitrovic has been handed an eight match ban for pushing referee Chris Kavanagh last month, so we’re taking a look at where the Serbian’s suspension ranks in the longest bans in English football history.

An independent panel decided that the Fulham striker will serve a three-match ban for the sending off, three for violent conduct and an additional two for “improper, abusive, insulting and threatening” language.

Debates over the length of Mitrovic’s suspension will continue following the sentencing, with many believing that the Serbian should be handed a more severe punishment than the ban and a £75,000 fine for his reckless actions.

ABSOLUTE SCENES AT OLD TRAFFORD!! ��
Tempers are flaring as Fulham go from 1-0 up to conceding a penalty and going down to 9-men… ��#ITVFootball | @EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/6vWTYNgRGT
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) March 19, 2023

An eight match ban may seem like an awful long time to be suspended, however Mitrovic’s ban doesn’t even rank in the top ten of the longest in English football.

In light of this, we’re taking a look at 10 of the longest bans in English football history.

Longest Bans in English Football

See below the longest bans in English football that range from 11 games right up to 30 years!

10. Paolo Di Canio – 11 Games

Di Canio was involved in several controversial incidents throughout his career, with this being one of the more notable ones.

This incident came in a Premier League match for Sheffield Wednesday against Arsenal in 1998.

The Italian’s emotions got the better of him on the day, as he shoved referee Paul Alcock to the ground.

In response to his offence, the FA handed him an 11 game ban, along with a £10,000 fine.

After receiving his punishment, the then 30-year-old spoke to the media.

“I want to say that I am very, very sorry for what happened. I had a fair hearing, and I am happy about that.”

9. Luis Suarez – 4 Months

Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez is another that’s renowned for his controversial incidents.

Whilst at Liverpool, the forward was banned for racially abusing Patrice Evra, but it isn’t that ban that earns him a spot on this list.

At the 2014 World Cup, when Uruguay faced Italy, Suarez bit Giorgio Chiellini.

It became the third biting incident that Suarez had been accused of in his career.

He was handed a four month ban from all football-related activities, and was still contracted to Liverpool at the time.

A move to Barcelona still materialised, but he missed the first part of the season due to his suspension.

8. Vinnie Jones – 6 Months

Part of the infamous ‘Crazy Gang’ at Wimbledon, Vinnie Jones was widely regarded as one of football’s hardest men.

His style of play was fairly brutal, and he was consistently involved in controversial incidents on the field of play.

Jones has now made a name for himself in the television and film industry, but prior to this he had his fair share of bans in English football.

In a video called ‘Soccer’s Hardest Men’, Jones glorified violence on the pitch. This of course, didn’t make the FA very happy, and subsequently led to him being banned for six months and being fined £20,000.

7. Kolo Toure – 6 Months

Former Manchester City defender Kolo Toure was handed a six month ban back in 2011.

The Ivorian admitted to taking an unspecified substance contained in some water tablets he obtained through his wife.

His legal team tried pushing for a three-month ban so that he could be involved for the start of the following season.

He was given a backdated ban, which meant he could be involved from the start of the season.

6. Adrian Mutu – 7 Months

Romanian striker Adrian Mutu saw his short-lived Chelsea career come to an end after receiving a seven month ban in 2004.

Having made just 26 league appearances for the Blues, Mutu returned a positive test for cocaine, effectively ending his Chelsea career.

He refused to have his B sample tested, but owned up to the wrongdoing.

This led to a lengthy court case where Chelsea looked to gain compensation for his actions.

Mutu still went on to have a long playing career, racking up 77 caps for Romania, and is now the manager of Rapid Bucuresti.

5. Rio Ferdinand – 8 Months

Shortly after joining Manchester United and becoming England’s most expensive player, Rio Ferdinand was handed an eight-month drug ban in 2003.

The defender had missed a doping test in 2003, and was found guilty of misconduct in an independent tribunal.

This meant Ferdinand had to watch on as Arsenal’s Invincibles won the Premier League title, whilst also being ineligible for England at Euro 2004.

4. Eric Cantona – 9 Months

Frenchman Eric Cantona had plenty of memorable moments during his time in England, but this incident may be the most memorable.

In 1995, Cantona was shown a red card against Crystal Palace, and had abuse shouted at him by an Eagles fan.

Clearly outraged by the fan’s abuse, Cantona jumped into the crowd and launched a ‘kung-fu’ kick towards the supporter.

This led to him being handed a nine month ban from playing in England.

3. Mark Bosnich – 9 Months

Like Adrian Mutu, Mark Bosnich tested positive for cocaine whilst playing for Chelsea.

He denied ever taking the drug, but admitted it may have entered his system by mistake.

“Yes, I took drugs but only once my career was over. I have no regrets. I owe football absolutely nothing,” Bosnich said upon retiring in 2004.

“At the time of my drugs test in November 2002 I was not taking cocaine… I got talking to a girl who later admitted that she had slipped the drug into her drink. I must have had a sip of her glass.”

Due to his positive test, Bosnich was handed a nine month suspension.

2. Joey Barton – 18 Months

Plenty of controversy surrounded the career of English midfielder Joey Barton.

He spent time in jail for beating up a man in the street, almost punched Ousmane Dabo in Manchester City training, and almost poked someone’s eye out with a cigarette at a Christmas party.

Despite all this, it was something else that saw him receive a massive 18 month ban from football.

It was revealed that Barton had regularly bet on football matches between 2006 and 2016, something which professional footballers are forbidden from doing.

His 10-year betting tenure saw him place 1,260 bets, including some matches that he had played in.

He was charged with criminal activity and was fined £30,000 alongside his 18-month ban – which effectively ended his playing career.

1. Enoch West – 30 Years

English forward Enoch West had a prolific playing career up until his ban.

From Hucknall Torkard, the forward played for Sheffield United, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United.

He helped the latter to the league title in 1911 and scored 23 goals in the season that followed.

West was one of eight players to have been involved in a major betting scandal in 1915.

All eight players were handed a lifetime ban but were promised to have their suspensions uplifted if they enlisted in the army and fought in the First World War.

Every one of them, bar West, accepted the condition, with six of the seven returning to the field of play after returning from the war.

West’s teammate Sandy Turnbull was the one who didn’t return to playing, after being killed in the war.

His ban was eventually lifted in 1945 which was thirty years after it had been imposed but he was 59-years-old by then.

To this day, it is believed to be the longest suspension in the history of football.