An English non-league player has been banned from football for nearly three years for punching a referee after being shown a red card. Josh McKenzie, who plays for sixth-tier team Redditch United, accepted a charge of improper conduct for striking the match official during a Southern Premier Division game against Chesham United on 15 October.

McKenzie was suspended by the Football Association until July 2014 and fined £250. His registration has already been cancelled by Redditch. Maurice Armstrong, chairman of the FA’s ndependent Regulatory Commission, said “any physical contact against a referee, if proven, should carry with it a considerable sporting sanction.”