Kolo - what's the latest?

[Slim]

Bllimey - if he's not allowed to train he's going to need something to keep the weight off.

more diet pills?

An understanding wife and a hotel full of hookers for the summer.

In a sweat suit.

But really, I think he's been done over. The lad who took the same thing up in Scotland only got 1 month yet Kolo gets 6 months. And no football related activity is a scandalous regulation as in terms of his job it means he can't even touch a ball, in his back garden!

And Paddy Kenny got 9 months.

I am very happy with 6 months and it means he only misses the first couple of weeks of the season.

[Nickyboy]

sky just listed all the other bans and 9 months is more than all of them. the coke head that didnt turn up only got 8 !!

[ronk]

6 months I can take. At this point it's only a month at the start of the season. He's through the worst of it.

Football related activities would relate to participating in coaching, sitting in the playing area during matches but mostly commercial activities. Footballers have contractual obligations for marketing, they do photo shoots and interviews and signing sessions. This would limit to do those things as a club representitive as opposed to by himself.

[irblinx]

Status during a suspension
38. (a)
A Participant who is the subject of a suspension pursuant to these Regulations cannot during the period of suspension participate in any capacity in any Match or any other football related activity other than anti doping education or rehabilitation programmes. The FA may (in its absolute discretion) permit a Player who has been suspended for more than six months to return to training and/or other football related activity with his club (but not participate in any Match) prior to the end of his suspension, as follows (provided that no such return is permitted unless agreed in writing in advance by The FA) -
Period of suspension - Number of months prior to end of suspension that activity may be resumed
Less than six months - Zero months
Six to nine months - One month
Ten months to one year - Two months
One year or more - Three months

(b) A Player or other Participant subject to a period of suspension longer than four (4) years may, after completing four (4) years of the period of suspension, participate in local sport events in a sport other than the sport in which the Player or other Participant committed the Doping Offence, but only so long as the local sport event is not at a level that could otherwise qualify such Player or other Participant directly or indirectly to compete in (or accumulate points toward) a national championship or International Event.
39. In addition to any period of suspension, for a Doping Offence not involving a Specified Substance, The FA will withhold some or all of any sports related payments otherwise due to the Player from The FA during the period of suspension.
40. Where any Player contravenes the terms of his suspension from participating in football and football related activity, the period of suspension originally imposed on the Player shall start again from the date of such contravention. A Player may seek a reduction in the period of such a suspension if he establishes no significant fault or negligence for the contravention of his suspension in accordance with Part Nine. A Regulatory Commission shall determine whether such a contravention has occurred and whether the Player has established no significant fault or negligence.

So he can start training on 2nd August, how we have got away with him being at training up to now and so involved in the celebrations at the FA's own showpiece game is a mystery to me though (possibly an FA chairman shaped mystery).

[Wooders]

This really is brilliant news - great backup to Kompany and Lescott

So now we can keep Boyata and not splurge money that should go elsewhere (left back, midfield) as we have an embarresment of riches at centreback
Lescott, komps
Kolo, Boyata
If needed, Richards, Boeteng
If things are realy dire - Yaya

[Stan]

Status during a suspension
38. (a)
A Participant who is the subject of a suspension pursuant to these Regulations cannot during the period of suspension participate in any capacity in any Match or any other football related activity other than anti doping education or rehabilitation programmes. The FA may (in its absolute discretion) permit a Player who has been suspended for more than six months to return to training and/or other football related activity with his club (but not participate in any Match) prior to the end of his suspension, as follows (provided that no such return is permitted unless agreed in writing in advance by The FA) -
Period of suspension - Number of months prior to end of suspension that activity may be resumed
Less than six months - Zero months
Six to nine months - One month
Ten months to one year - Two months
One year or more - Three months

(b) A Player or other Participant subject to a period of suspension longer than four (4) years may, after completing four (4) years of the period of suspension, participate in local sport events in a sport other than the sport in which the Player or other Participant committed the Doping Offence, but only so long as the local sport event is not at a level that could otherwise qualify such Player or other Participant directly or indirectly to compete in (or accumulate points toward) a national championship or International Event.
39. In addition to any period of suspension, for a Doping Offence not involving a Specified Substance, The FA will withhold some or all of any sports related payments otherwise due to the Player from The FA during the period of suspension.
40. Where any Player contravenes the terms of his suspension from participating in football and football related activity, the period of suspension originally imposed on the Player shall start again from the date of such contravention. A Player may seek a reduction in the period of such a suspension if he establishes no significant fault or negligence for the contravention of his suspension in accordance with Part Nine. A Regulatory Commission shall determine whether such a contravention has occurred and whether the Player has established no significant fault or negligence.

So he can start training on 2nd August, how we have got away with him being at training up to now and so involved in the celebrations at the FA's own showpiece game is a mystery to me though (possibly an FA chairman shaped mystery).

I assume that he could train because of the "not guilty until proven otherwise" principle; wasn't he suspended as a precautionary measure by the club in advance of the hearing (ie as opposed to "pursuant to these Regulations" so presumably they can't backdate not allowing him to train?

[irblinx]

So he can start training on 2nd August, how we have got away with him being at training up to now and so involved in the celebrations at the FA's own showpiece game is a mystery to me though (possibly an FA chairman shaped mystery).

I assume that he could train because of the "not guilty until proven otherwise" principle; wasn't he suspended as a precautionary measure by the club in advance of the hearing (ie as opposed to "pursuant to these Regulations" so presumably they can't backdate not allowing him to train?

If "not guilty until proven otherwise" were applied surely he could have carried on playing up until the point of this hearing? Which was kind of my point, he has spent half of his suspension only kinda following the rule. Great result for us

[Avalon]

So he can start training on 2nd August, how we have got away with him being at training up to now and so involved in the celebrations at the FA's own showpiece game is a mystery to me though (possibly an FA chairman shaped mystery).

I assume that he could train because of the "not guilty until proven otherwise" principle; wasn't he suspended as a precautionary measure by the club in advance of the hearing (ie as opposed to "pursuant to these Regulations" so presumably they can't backdate not allowing him to train?

If "not guilty until proven otherwise" were applied surely he could have carried on playing up until the point of this hearing? Which was kind of my point, he has spent half of his suspension only kinda following the rule. Great result for us

My guess would be that being involved in the celebrations doesn't qualify as football activities, such as coaching and playing. He could very well be on his own accord there. On top of that, he could have asked the FA if he was allowed to be there, which might have been granted.

In the end, even though he's banned, he's still a Man City player, which might be why he's allowed to be at the celebrations. He was seen in COMS for several matches during his ban, though those were regular seats. The only time I saw him backstage was during the FA Cup and the last COMS match of the season against Stoke. I guess both were 'special' cases. One for winning the FA Cup and the other for the last home match and the subsequent walk/thanks to the fans.

[john68]

Kolo was not guilty until he was found to be, so prior to that, he could have done anything. The ban was purely a City measure as far as I understood it, which Kolo accepted. I would believe that until the FA made its decision, he could have actually played as no evidence and no official ruling had been made.
I think the club banned Kolo as a precautionary measure andd it was a voluntary thing done by the club. The FA seem to have taken that into consideration and accepted that time as part of a their official ban. I don't think they had to, but did so.

As most of the official ban is covered by the close season and he misses oinly a few weeks of the new, we have dodged a big bullet.

[irblinx]

Kolo was not guilty until he was found to be, so prior to that, he could have done anything. The ban was purely a City measure as far as I understood it, which Kolo accepted. I would believe that until the FA made its decision, he could have actually played as no evidence and no official ruling had been made.
I think the club banned Kolo as a precautionary measure andd it was a voluntary thing done by the club. The FA seem to have taken that into consideration and accepted that time as part of a their official ban. I don't think they had to, but did so.

As most of the official ban is covered by the close season and he misses oinly a few weeks of the new, we have dodged a big bullet.

The club suspended him first, then the FA imposed a provisional ban on the 2nd March which is why the 6 months is back dated to then, which is way I said that the innocent until proven guilty idea doesn't stack up . We obviously got permission for him to train but it does seem to go against the FA regulations although I didn't see any mention of specific rules for "provisional" suspensions.

The only question remaining is if he'll get his place back from Joleon who was excellent in his place, even Sky were pointing out that we had a better win percentage whilst he was suspended!

[john68]

Hi Irby Mate,
I understood what you were saying Pal. I just interpreted it as; Becase he hadn't been formally found guilty but had sufficient evidence to convict (maybe the wrong word), the City ban was done to show the club were being responsible and the FA (provisional) ban was as far as they could go...ie, stop him playing. The additional sanctions such as pay, training football activities couldn't be enforced until that guilty verdict was official. I could be wrong.

[PeterParker]

There is a 6 months ban since yesterday when the decision was made or since he was descovered and that means he will be match fit in september?

[Lee_R]

I think the big question are - Will he be banned for the start of the season on Football Manager and Fifa 2012?... Also.. is he allowed to play Football Manager and Fifa 2011?!

[smj996c]

from the MEN website

Manchester City have fined defender Kolo Toure £360,000 as punishment for a failed drugs test.

The FA banned Toure for six months for using a specified substance after he took one of his wife's slimming tablets.

However, City have chosen not to strip away the player's image rights which could have cost the player up to £1.5m.

The fine is thought to be three weeks' wages.

[CityGer]

Fuck me. £120k a week.

[DunneyMonster]

More money coming in, all just part of making sure we meet the Financial Fair Play Rules :-)