Songo 6 game ban

[Andy D]

Already serving 2 games, will still have 4 games left to serve, rightly or wrongly a huge loss in our promotion push.

https://www.morecambefc.com/news

Yann Songo’o has responded to the FA's findings and said: “I'd like to offer a sincere apology for any offence I've caused.

"I'm really disappointed in myself for using that term, because it does not reflect the type of person I am but it was under provocation.

"I'm totally against any form of discrimination and I know what I said was totally unacceptable, I can only apologise and ask for forgiveness to anyone I offended.'

Yann's apology to me is sincere and should be the end of it.

[Redalert1970]

6 games is quite lenient

Could have got 12 and been out for the season

Will miss very tough games though including Harrogate, Cheltenham, Cambridge and Southend

[Screenster]

The right outcome in my opinion. Sounds like he's remorseful and has accepted it was the wrong sort of word to use in the moment. Will miss 3 tricky games in particular but considering we'll have him back for some of the "lesser" sides I think this is the best we could have hoped for.

[RapidShrimp]

Agree with all of the above. We’ve perhaps got off a little lightly with only 4 games out compared to a possible 10 in the worst case scenario, however I’ll take it and we can now move forward without the uncertainty hanging over us.

[redrobo]

Not the ideal time for such a ban but we'll get on with it and do our best. With Sam also out for the Harrogate game it's going to be up to those who DA selects and I'd like to see Pringle given this chance to show us what he's more than capable of.

As for Sam's replacement we could see one of the current full backs move into the centre with a ready made replacement to fill that vacant full back position of one of the other full backs on the books.

No doubt DA was anticipating the Songo'o outcome and will have already decided who gets to fill that place in the engine room.

We'll certainly miss Songo'o but it's a squad game and whoever plays will be up to the task.

[tim-sanchez]

Very disappointed in Songo'o, there's absolutely no need for that sort of language and it's right that he's been banned. I still maintain that the club's response wasn't great to this, especially with Songo'o now admitting he used the word he could have easily apologised at the time when the club continued to play him with no statement.

However, he's apologised and accepts it was wrong, so we move on and hope this is the last time the club is involved in a situation like this.

[Redalert1970]

Maybe go 442 saturday

Letheren

Mellor. Nkp Davis Gibson

Mcilinden. Wildig. Diagoraga. O Sullivan

Gomes. Stockton

[RapidShrimp]

Maybe go 442 saturday

Letheren

Mellor. Nkp Davis Gibson

Mcilinden. Wildig. Diagoraga. O Sullivan

Gomes. Stockton

That’s assuming KP is fit

[jbc.shrimp]

O.T.T. in my opinion. So what would a player get for 'accidentally' breaking an opponents limb ? Words will be forgotten. Broken limbs can end a career.

[tim-sanchez]

O.T.T. in my opinion. So what would a player get for 'accidentally' breaking an opponents limb ? Words will be forgotten. Broken limbs can end a career.

Massive difference between something that happens accidentally as part of a match, and deliberate use of a slur that has no place in football.

[RapidShrimp]

O.T.T. in my opinion. So what would a player get for 'accidentally' breaking an opponents limb ? Words will be forgotten. Broken limbs can end a career.

You surely cannot still be defending his actions?! There’s one hell of a difference between an injury and an offensive slur. The former is just part of the game, the latter should never be anywhere near the game. End of.

[Keith]

O.T.T. in my opinion. So what would a player get for 'accidentally' breaking an opponents limb ? Words will be forgotten. Broken limbs can end a career.

You surely cannot still be defending his actions?! There’s one hell of a difference between an injury and an offensive slur. The former is just part of the game, the latter should never be anywhere near the game. End of.

It demonstrates how far society needs to go

Statistically, in the region of 4% of the population are LGBTQ+. With 25 men on the pitch at any one time, so statistically, there is likely to be one 'not heterosexual' man on every football pitch. I wonder why there are so few who feel safe being 'out'?

It's a shame that the very belated apology wasn't even unequivocal. "I'm really disappointed in myself for using that term, because it does not reflect the type of person I am but it was under provocation".

I'm sorry but... is not an apology. Provocation from a player who was laying on the floor getting treatment, and who had been down for about a minute since landing heavily?

And some think the ban is "over the top"?

[BerlinWaller]

"WHAT A BELTER" when he scored on Saturday though eh Keith you big Drama Queen.

[Keith]

"WHAT A BELTER" when he scored on Saturday though eh Keith you big Drama Queen.

Absolutely. I support the team that is put out there no matter what. Did you think I wanted us to lose or something? There are two different issues. Let me know if you can't understand and I'll try to find a way to explain it to you simply.

[RapidShrimp]

https://twitter.com/bbclancssport/status/1372659068683304963?s=21

Seems like Derek knows something that we don’t...

[jbc.shrimp]

O.T.T. in my opinion. So what would a player get for 'accidentally' breaking an opponents limb ? Words will be forgotten. Broken limbs can end a career.

You surely cannot still be defending his actions?! There’s one hell of a difference between an injury and an offensive slur. The former is just part of the game, the latter should never be anywhere near the game. End of.

So getting a broken limb is just part of the game.

[Andy D]

It's a shame that the very belated apology wasn't even unequivocal. "I'm really disappointed in myself for using that term, because it does not reflect the type of person I am but it was under provocation".

I'm sorry but... is not an apology. Provocation from a player who was laying on the floor getting treatment, and who had been down for about a minute since landing heavily?

And some think the ban is "over the top"?

Again being French and choice of words in English he could mean Provocation with the player's actions on the floor, after all so many players nowadays dive, play acting, trying to fool Referees.

Provocation:

action or speech that makes someone angry, especially deliberately.
"you should remain calm and not respond to provocation"

6 game ban is right, its just i will feel very disappointed if i hear or see other players using that choice of wording on a football pitch and go unpunished, its all about consistency now.

[paulshrimp]

I’ve just listened to that interview. Derek chose his words very carefully and sensibly. It was the sort of interview you would expect.

[Sakhalin Shrimp]

I thought Derek was trying to say something without actually saying it, for me this leaves the question of what was said to Yann, was it racial? Why hasn’t it come out?

[RapidShrimp]

O.T.T. in my opinion. So what would a player get for 'accidentally' breaking an opponents limb ? Words will be forgotten. Broken limbs can end a career.

You surely cannot still be defending his actions?! There’s one hell of a difference between an injury and an offensive slur. The former is just part of the game, the latter should never be anywhere near the game. End of.

So getting a broken limb is just part of the game.

Yes, as every professional footballer would accept.

[tim-sanchez]

The FA will release their written reasons, which will hopefully include Yann's side of the story and we can understand what he meant by provocation.

[redrobo]

Nothing is ever what it appears at the time.

DA is as ever the diplomat in his interviews and just another reason why I have total respect for the guy.

I suspect we all will have an opinion on what the provocation was that Yan reacted to....and given the same circumstances how many of us would have reacted in a similar way ...I suggest the vast majority would have even if it was just within our thoughts

[Keith]

I thought Derek was trying to say something without actually saying it, for me this leaves the question of what was said to Yann, was it racial? Why hasn’t it come out?

If it was 'extreme' enough to even partly justify the response, then why isn't it public and why aren't the FA investigating? If they did investigate, why isn't that referred to? If Yann was abused too, then the FA's 'Kick it Out' campaign clearly requires more work.

Will the FA make public their report?

[Sakhalin Shrimp]

I thought Derek was trying to say something without actually saying it, for me this leaves the question of what was said to Yann, was it racial? Why hasn’t it come out?

If it was 'extreme' enough to even partly justify the response, then why isn't it public and why aren't the FA investigating? If they did investigate, why isn't that referred to? If Yann was abused too, then the FA's 'Kick it Out' campaign clearly requires more work.

Will the FA make public their report?

Maybe the ref didn’t hear any provocation, if indeed it was verbal, so didn’t include it in his report. Listening to Derek there appears to have been something done or said.

[fulwoodshrimp]

I think in his interview Derek knows something was said to provoke Yann but it was not heard by the referee and not included in his report so there is nothing else to be investigated, But it does leave a bitter taste that a possible racist remark has gone unpunished.