Gingell hit with 22 game suspension. (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Gingell hit with 22 game suspension.

7:28pm Tuesday 1st January 2008 in Football

Corsham Town manager Mel Gingell has been slapped with a huge 22 game touchline ban and fined £150 for bringing the game into disrepute.

The Southbank boss will not be allowed back in the dug for the rest of the season after offences in September and October, twice against Devizes and at Cowes Sports on the Isle of Wight.

The former Wiltshire U18 manager was given the ban by the Somerset FA because of his fractious relationship with the Wiltshire FA.

The county asked their Somerset counterparts to hear the case in order to avoid any claims of bias.

Gingell has been fined £50 and banned for seven games for acting in a manner deemed to be improper at the FA Vase game.

The Corsham boss was found guilty of using foul and abusive language to the match referee and being removed from the technical area.

From the first match against Devizes, played on September 11, Gingell has been fined £40 and banned for six matches for using foul and abusive language to the assistant referee, refusing to leave the technical area when asked to do so and using foul and abusive language to the referee.

From the second match against Devizes, played on October 9, Gingell has been fined £60 and banned for nine matches for bringing the game into disrepute by comments he made regarding injured Devizes goalkeeper, Owen Dunn.

Corsham chairman John Gingell, who is yet to decide if the club will appeal, has labelled the ban "disgusting" with assistant manager Graham Learmouth calling it "childish."

Wiltshire FA secretary Mike Benson has insisted the decision is a fair one and hopes Gingell will learn from the ban.

For the full story and reaction see Thursday's Gazette&Herald.