Football: Fine and four-game ban for Angell

FINDED AND SUSPENDED: Hawke's Bay United head coach Brett Angell (left) has received the harshest judicial sentence handed to a coach from his franchise. PHOTO/FILE

Hawke's Bay United football coach Brett Angell has been fined $1000 and suspended for four playing days after incidents during the team's match against Team Wellington in the capital on Sunday.

New Zealand Football yesterday stated Angell was found guilty of offensive, insulting abusive language and/or gestures against a match official during the 3-all draw in the Stirling Sports Premiership encounter at David Farrington Park.

Angell was given the opportunity to comment on the sentence last night and indicate whether or not he would appeal it but he didn't return Hawke's Bay Today's phone call.

Hawke's Bay United general manager operations, Shane McKenzie, also declined to comment.

"We only received information after 4pm today. We are still waiting for the full report and once we have received that and digested it all we will be in a position to comment," McKenzie said.

Angell's sentence is the harshest handed to a Bay United coach in the history of the Premiership.

He wasn't the only member of the Bay team to be disciplined following round 12.

Midfielder Corey Chettleburgh, 25, will also miss four playing days starting with Sunday's round 13 encounter against Tasman United at Memorial Park, Palmerston North, after being found guilty of the same charge as his coach following an altercation after the final whistle.

Angell and Chettleburgh are no strangers to judicial action.

Angell has been ordered out of the coach's box on several occasions while coaching United and Chettleburgh was suspended for seven matches while playing for Wairarapa United in the winter.

On Sunday, Thirsty Whale Hawke's Bay United assistant coach Matt Dunning will be in charge of the side.

Last Sunday's referee Campbell-Kirk Waugh had threatened to abandon the game and award Team Wellington three points when Angell was caught communicating with his team again after being banished from the sideline.

In the social media frenzy which followed the game, Angell was accused of cheating and habitually dropping the "F-bomb."

Spectators at the ground have taken photos on their cellphones as evidence to show Angell, leaning against the entrance to the changing rooms, holding up a piece of white paper and engaging in a discussion with a member of his team.

Tweeted Brandon Clark @kiwibardy with complete footage: "And passing notes to subs to take to the bench too #SSPremiership #TWvHB."

Tracey @iluvnix17 tweeted: "Just saw Angell hand a piece of paper to substitute to take to bench again."

Patrick Barnes @patrick478 chimed in with: "@HawkesBayUnited must be so proud of their cheat of a coach.

"Seriously @NZFootball, if this doesn't result in a long ban you're doing your job wrong," Barnes said.

Other round 12 judicial action saw Canterbury United midfielder Gary Ogilvie suspended for two matches after being red carded for violent conduct during a 2-all draw with Auckland City.

Daniel Farrow, the Head of National Competitions at New Zealand Football, said the disciplinary code is very clear on what is deemed acceptable and unacceptable behaviour.

"We want to make sure that the Stirling Sports Premiership maintains high professional standards at all times.

"The referee reports that we have received have shown that the behaviour of Brett and Corey was not acceptable and we have acted accordingly," he said.

"We want to make it very clear that offensive language towards the match officials and showing disregard for the rules on match day will not be tolerated."

In other news, the round 13 match between Auckland City and Southern United, which has been rescheduled because of the Navy Blues' involvement in the Nike Lunar Cup in Hong Kong, is confirmed for February 22 at Kiwitea Street.