Sport 24-08-2000 Arsenal Boss Faces Twelve-Match Ban who: Arsene Wenger what: Faces touchline ban for pushing official where: Stadium Of Light, SUNDERLAND when: Saturday snippet: "Arsene Wenger faces a massive 12-match touchline ban after being charged with pushing an official," says The Sun today. "And the Arsenal boss could also be fined four weeks` wages, around £120,000, for the alleged tunnel incident at the end of his side`s opening-day defeat at Sunderland". The charge was brought following a report by the fourth official, Paul Taylor following the controversial last-minute sending-off of Patrick Vieira at the Stadium of Light on Saturday. "Arsenal... must now suffer the embarrassment of their French manager, one of the game`s most respected figures, being hauled into the FA dock," says Russell Thomas in The Guardian. "The episode will come as an immediate test of the FA`s new code of conduct, published this summer," notes George Caulkin in The Times, "which was intended to offer greater protection to match officials in the light of a perceived increase in intimidatory behaviour by players and managers". Wenger will contest the charge. [... more]

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