This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/bristol/6252157.stm
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| FA Cup assault footballer jailed | FA Cup assault footballer jailed |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A footballer has been jailed for hitting a rival player in the face during an FA Cup match. | A footballer has been jailed for hitting a rival player in the face during an FA Cup match. |
| Barrow defender James Cotterill, 24, pleaded guilty to punching Bristol Rovers striker Sean Rigg during a first round match on 11 November last year. | Barrow defender James Cotterill, 24, pleaded guilty to punching Bristol Rovers striker Sean Rigg during a first round match on 11 November last year. |
| He was sentenced to four months in prison for GBH, at Preston Crown Court. | He was sentenced to four months in prison for GBH, at Preston Crown Court. |
| Cotterill is thought to be the first football player in recent history in England to be jailed for an offence which happened on the pitch. | Cotterill is thought to be the first football player in recent history in England to be jailed for an offence which happened on the pitch. |
| Metal plates | Metal plates |
| The incident took place at the Conference North club Barrow's ground. | The incident took place at the Conference North club Barrow's ground. |
| Cotterill fractured Mr Rigg's jaw in two places during the "highly charged" match. It now has to be held in place by metal plates for the rest of his life. | Cotterill fractured Mr Rigg's jaw in two places during the "highly charged" match. It now has to be held in place by metal plates for the rest of his life. |
| The court heard how Rigg, a League Two player, had to drink through a straw and eat with a teaspoon as a result of the punch. | |
| The Football Association banned Cotterill from playing football until March of this year. | The Football Association banned Cotterill from playing football until March of this year. |
| An interim suspension was imposed by the FA on 17 November due to the serious nature of the incident. | An interim suspension was imposed by the FA on 17 November due to the serious nature of the incident. |
| Television cameras captured the off-the-ball assault, which was shown that evening to millions of viewers on the BBC's Match of the Day programme. | Television cameras captured the off-the-ball assault, which was shown that evening to millions of viewers on the BBC's Match of the Day programme. |