Player jailed for breaking rival's jaw

[Nobby 0]

Player jailed for breaking rival's jaw in FA Cup game

Michael Horsnell

 

A footballer was jailed for four months yesterday for shattering a rival player’s jaw during an FA Cup match.

James Cotterill, 24, a Barrow AFC defender, pleaded guilty to punching Sean Rigg, a Bristol Rovers forward, causing him grievous bodily harm during a first-round match last November. Cotterill fractured Rigg’s jaw in two places with a left hook. The jaw will have to be held together with metal plates for the rest of Mr Rigg’s life.

 

Cotterill is only the second footballer in living memory to be jailed for an assault on another player during a match. Duncan Ferguson, the former Scottish international and Rangers forward, was sent to prison for three months in 1995 for head-butting John McStay, who was playing for Raith Rovers.

 

Television cameras captured the off-the-ball assault by Cotterill, which was shown that evening to millions of viewers on the BBC One Match of the Day programme.

 

Passing sentence at Preston Crown Court, Judge Robert Brown said: “The courts have for a long time now made it absolutely clear that this sort of violence on the field of play cannot, and will not, be tolerated.

 

“And for this kind of off- the-ball incident a custodial sentence is inevitable.”

 

The judge said that he took into account Cotterill’s decision to plead guilty at the first opportunity, the contrition he had expressed for the assault, and his previous good record on the pitch.

 

Cotterill showed little emotion as he was sentenced, but relatives in the public gallery burst into tears.

 

The court was told that Cotterill, who lives in Barnsley and is married with a child, was deeply remorseful for his actions. Peter Kennedy, in mitigation, said: “He is thoroughly ashamed for his family, former club and his profession.”

 

Mr Rigg, who was 18 at the time of the incident, had to drink through a straw and eat with a teaspoon after the blow.

 

Cotterill resigned from Barrow AFC shortly after the assault and wrote to Mr Rigg and Bristol Rovers apologising for his behaviour.

 

The off-the-ball assault was not seen by the referee or any other players. Cotterill hit Mr Rigg from behind, so the Bristol Rovers player had no idea of what was about to happen to him. Mr Rigg has now fully recovered from his injuries and is back playing for Bristol Rovers’ first team, the court was told.

 

Cotterill, who has been working as an apprentice table joiner while he sees out his suspension from football until March 1, was ordered to pay £270 costs. Judge Brown was told that Cotterill would lose his job if he were jailed for more than 20 working days.

 

The Football Association said that it did not wish to comment on Cotterill’s sentence.

 

Violent play

In the 1982 World Cup the West Germany goalkeeper Harold Schumacher hit and knocked out the French player Patrick Battison. The referee awarded the Germans a goal kick

In October 2002 Roy Keane got a £150,000 fine and a five-match ban after he admitted that he had deliberately injured Alf Inge Haaland during a derby match against Manchester City in April 2001

Edited January 12, 2007 by NobbySolano

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 4098]

This should have happened to Ben Thatcher.

[Matty 0]

This should have happened to Ben Thatcher.

 

 

And about 10 rugby players every week then too I would imagine.

 

 

I agree with you about Thatcher though, the lad is a thug and has done the same thing before, even though it was to a mackem, he's a horrible little cowardly shite.

 

But as I first said, why does it seem that rugby players in a full on fight in front of a stadium crowd and live on telly never seem to get punished at a similar level?

[Guest stevieintoon]

This should have happened to Ben Thatcher.

Too right, Thatcher's was worse in my opinion because of the speed he approached Mendes. It's not overstating it that he could've killed him.

 

This sort of thing was common place in the 70's and 80's. People like Terry Hurlock and Mark Dennis used to get away with murder, I'm pleased football's moved on in that sense.

[Invicta_Toon 0]

metal plates in his jaw for life

 

either that bloke is bruce lee or the other one had a jaw made of papier mache

[Rob W 0]

well if it stops some other thug from hitting people on the pitch its a good thing

[Papa Lazaru 0]

This should have happened to Ben Thatcher.

 

 

And about 10 rugby players every week then too I would imagine.

 

 

I agree with you about Thatcher though, the lad is a thug and has done the same thing before, even though it was to a mackem, he's a horrible little cowardly shite.

 

But as I first said, why does it seem that rugby players in a full on fight in front of a stadium crowd and live on telly never seem to get punished at a similar level?

 

Agree that Thatcher should have got at least what this bloke did as its far from the first time he's tried to seriously endager somebodies health and if he'd done it away from sport he'd have been locked up like the obnoxious little cunt he is.

 

But also agree that its always footballers who get serious punishment when the likes of rigby and ice hockeyy see the same or worse with nobody getting the treatment footballers do. Look at Bowyer having to go to court for the Dyer incident, when that happens every week in ice hockey!

[luckyluke 2]

This should have happened to Ben Thatcher.

 

 

And about 10 rugby players every week then too I would imagine.

 

 

I agree with you about Thatcher though, the lad is a thug and has done the same thing before, even though it was to a mackem, he's a horrible little cowardly shite.

 

But as I first said, why does it seem that rugby players in a full on fight in front of a stadium crowd and live on telly never seem to get punished at a similar level?

 

Agree that Thatcher should have got at least what this bloke did as its far from the first time he's tried to seriously endager somebodies health and if he'd done it away from sport he'd have been locked up like the obnoxious little cunt he is.

 

But also agree that its always footballers who get serious punishment when the likes of rigby and ice hockeyy see the same or worse with nobody getting the treatment footballers do. Look at Bowyer having to go to court for the Dyer incident, when that happens every week in ice hockey!

 

Football is a more lucrative and high profile sport so it's not really surprising. The players are paid so much because they're in the limelight, they can hardly complain that if they do things like this they recieve more attention.

[Papa Lazaru 0]

This should have happened to Ben Thatcher.

 

 

And about 10 rugby players every week then too I would imagine.

 

 

I agree with you about Thatcher though, the lad is a thug and has done the same thing before, even though it was to a mackem, he's a horrible little cowardly shite.

 

But as I first said, why does it seem that rugby players in a full on fight in front of a stadium crowd and live on telly never seem to get punished at a similar level?

 

Agree that Thatcher should have got at least what this bloke did as its far from the first time he's tried to seriously endager somebodies health and if he'd done it away from sport he'd have been locked up like the obnoxious little cunt he is.

 

But also agree that its always footballers who get serious punishment when the likes of rigby and ice hockeyy see the same or worse with nobody getting the treatment footballers do. Look at Bowyer having to go to court for the Dyer incident, when that happens every week in ice hockey!

 

Football is a more lucrative and high profile sport so it's not really surprising. The players are paid so much because they're in the limelight, they can hardly complain that if they do things like this they recieve more attention.

 

They might recieve more attention, but that's nothing to do with the law and to make footballers an exception to other sports is completely wrong, even though many of them are spoilt pricks and morons!

 

Obviously there's more chance of getting done if a game is televised which makes footballers a likely target, but i have seen numerous other sporting matches on TV where these offences gave occured but only football will get punished.

 

Should be all or nothing really, either all sportsmen become targets for the law when they do things that away from sport would see them arrested, or all sportsmen (including footballers) can escape the law because they do it in their sport (not that i am saying this is right, just consistent!)

[Shearergol 0]

well if it stops some other thug from hitting people on the pitch its a good thing

 

He's not a thug though, which is why I don't understand it.

 

I've been out for a few beers with him on many occasion, he's actually a real quiet lad.

[ChezGiven 0]

That was the same game when the manager went for the ref wasnt it? Barrow showed themselves up that day iirc.