Barnet manager Dean Brennan has been handed a nine-match touchline ban by the Football Association after being found guilty of making sexist comments to referee Kirsty Dowle during a League Two match this season.
The incident occurred during Barnet's defeat to Shrewsbury in September, when Brennan was sent off by Dowle for dissent. He was subsequently charged with an aggravated breach of FA rule E3.1 for allegedly making offensive remarks, which he denied.
An independent FA regulatory commission found Brennan guilty, imposing a nine-match ban, a £2,000 fine, and a mandatory education programme. He becomes the first manager in English football to be banned specifically for sexist comments towards a referee.
Brennan said: “Throughout this case I have categorically denied the FA charge of discrimination. Whilst the panel have come to their conclusion, which I have to respect, I do not agree with their decision. There is a place in football for everyone, it’s the greatest sport on the planet.”
The FA stated that Brennan's comments “included a reference – whether express or implied – to gender”. In 2013, the FA introduced a minimum five-match ban for proven discrimination cases, increased to six games in 2019, with the possibility of longer bans depending on aggravating factors.
