If Wayne Rooney gets a 3 game ban for an accidental elbow while going for a header, Thatcher should be banned from the season for his disgraceful assult on Mendes.

It made me sick watching that, the police are investigating it, and i hope he gets charged with GBH.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/h ... ball/eng_prem/5266156.stm

"Mendes suffered a seizure and required oxygen before being taken to a local hospital after being struck in the face by Thatcher's forearm.

Although the 27-year-old has now been released, he will required medical and neurological supervision over the next week before he is cleared to play again."

I agree, regardless of whether or not the police decide to charge him with assault, he should also face some sort of disciplinary action from the F.A. If that sort of behaviour isn't "bringing the game into disrepute" then I'd struggle to come up with something which might be

Anyone got a link to the video of the incident?

Here Kalev. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTRaS7ffyWg

Sickening.

He has a history of it. I came across this article as I was searching for the video. http://www.4thegame.com/wanado ... DISCIPLINE+THE+ELBOW.html
Idiot.

Defenately worth a ban... uhm...

(that's just plain stupid. But I guess football is going that way atm. do what ever you you do, just make it sure that the referee doesn't see it)

If he has a history of behaviour like that, I certainly wouldnt want him on any professional team, ever.

i saw this incident on match of the day, im not a footy lover but i occasionally watch it, but that was outrageous, i think mendes was knocked out cold as his team-mates came to him. the other guy had no intention on getting the ball, and i'm surprised he only got a yellow, was blindingly obvious that he was out to harm anyone

its like boxing and football rolled into one

warning of a red card? send him off, kick him off, thats just an attack on the player, not that ball

I like him almost as much as I like Materazzi

And de Rossi.
And Christiano Ronaldo.

IMO Thatcher is lucky he didn't seriously injure him, an impact like that to the side of the head can cause bruising on the brain and possible swelling which could result in brain damage. I saw a program on car accidents, and most fatal accidents are from side impacts because of the persons brain hitting their skull with force.

Mendes has decided not to press charges, and Thatcher wrote a letter to say sorry...although i gaurantee he was forced to, as you watch his reaction on that video after the tackle...he does not care about what he has just done.

The Ref must be blind, everyone in the stadium could see that was a red card, but the men in black were probably too busy fixing their comb overs to notice.

me thinks thatcher needs ATC Quicksilvers avatar treatment..!

awfull elbow, refs need to be more consistent and rules need to be clarified more to stop this kind of play..

mendes could have easily been badly injured in that

Lol, haha. Shouldn't laugh but it looked kind of funny Nasty man, Ban from ever taking part in professional football, charge for assault and put him on Bad Lads' Army

I've got to admire Man City and Stuart Pearce for not doing a Jose and trying to defend him.

They kind of did, Pearce just called it a nasty challenge and it deserved a yellow card...but also said he will have to look at it again cause he only saw it once.

Thatcher is suspended and under investigation by the FA. Apparently he done a worse one years ago.

That's the first time I've seen that "challenge" and there is no way he was going for the ball. But then when I watch this, I'll put £5 on as to why he did it. It would appear some people are really bad losers.

Theese thing shouldn't be in football. Ben Thatcher perm ban !
And same about Materazzi thoose people shouldn't be able to be in sports !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v ... 4&search=Materazzi%20

http://video.google.com/videop ... 715640&q=Ben+Thatcher

I read from the comments in youtube that Thatcher had tackled a dude in the pre-season tour in china that bad that the poor guy had a collapsed lung. Is that true?

If it is, that is just more likely that he should be banned from football !

Quote from shaGuar :

Theese thing shouldn't be in football. Ben Thatcher perm ban !
And same about Materazzi thoose people shouldn't be able to be in sports !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v ... 4&search=Materazzi%20

http://video.google.com/videop ... 715640&q=Ben+Thatcher

Now i just need Zidane to headbut Thatcher and my avatar will be complete

And here is Browns tackle on giggs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNugWnNjwwg&NR

i was very angry just watching that because while i don't support Man Utd i am a big fan of giggs. Brown was unhappy cause Giggs had just nutmegged him.
Join the club Brown...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKmIRcBEhfo

Both of these players deserved to be shown straight red cards. These vicious challenges on players are becoming all too common these days, referee's should start cracking down on them.
If I remember right, when Essien first joined Chelsea he stamped on two players like Brown did to Giggs, and ended up with a three match ban, should have been more, in my opinion. And as far as I know, Brown hasn't been punished for what he did.

Quote from ATC Quicksilver :

Now i just need Zidane to headbut Thatcher and my avatar will be complete

Good luck with that

Quote from Hyperactive :

Defenately worth a ban... uhm...
(that's just plain stupid. But I guess football is going that way atm. do what ever you you do, just make it sure that the referee doesn't see it)

Funny you say that, but thats probably worse! The thick ref dealt with the incident there and then when he issued a card, and once the referee shows that card it means that he's seen the incident and given it the punishment it deserves.
Had the ref not seen the incident, Thatcher would be hearing from the FA about a 3+ game ban, however the letter of the FIFA law says if its dealt with on the pitch, its dealt with full stop.
However, it seems somehow the EFA look like they might be making some special exception for this case, which FIFA wont be impressed with in the slightest... hopefully this will open the door for this absolutely shocking rule to be stopped and the CORRECT punishments should be given to players regardless of what the referee thought he saw.

Quote from Chris_Kerry :

I've got to admire Man City and Stuart Pearce for not doing a Jose and trying to defend him.

LOL!!
Does it REALLY need pointing out that this is Psycho Stuart Pearce were talking about, Manager of Man Citeh, who's player just went charging into a player about 4 minutes after had a team 'talk' from his manager!?
When he was a capt for Forrest he was well known for his aggressive 'inspirational' team talks, and its suprising that Pearce refused to comment on the incident till well after it'd taken place, no condemnation for the actions, nothing until well after the events.
Why is this? Does that incident really require that much to think about, to reflect upon, is it even remotely defendable?!