Swindon player banned after he ‘violated’ opponents’ ‘private parts’

Written reasons in the case chronicle how Ollie Clarke, 33, admitted to two charges of acting in an improper manner or using indecent behaviour to an opponent but denied his actions were intentional.

Clarke was banned last month and fined £2,750 − a week’s wages − over his conduct towards unnamed opponents during Swindon’s Carabao Cup first-round defeat by Cardiff City on August 12.

An independent regulatory commission convened by the Football Association did not accept Clarke’s explanation, according to written reasons published this week.

They state: “With regard to this extraordinary incident in his match report, the referee, Mr Elliot Bell, stated: ‘Upon blowing the final whistle, XXXX [redacted] of Cardiff came to me and was visibly upset alleging that Ollie Clarke of Swindon had XXXXX [redacted]. He was very emotional and struggled to speak.’”

The findings continue: “There was no plausible explanation to be touching an opponent’s private body parts during a game (especially when the match itself was not in motion).

“The Commission considers this to be an extremely serious and unusual incident necessitating a severe sanction. However argued, the player’s XXXXX [redacted] of an opponent is a highly invasive/intrusive and violating action. As such, the sanction should be in excess of that of violent conduct.”

Swindon, who condemned the ban when it was imposed, said they continued to support their captain.

“Throughout the process, Ollie Clarke maintained his innocence and only admitted the charges on the basis that both charges were unintentional,” they said in a statement. “The club continues to support Ollie and will do so moving forward.”

Manager Ian Holloway also complained that Clarke would have been cleared if the matter had been dealt with by the police.

He said: “I vouched for his character, and I know he’s competitive, and he wouldn’t have meant anything that he’s allegedly done.”

Holloway continued: “We tried to fight it. It took so long, it was disgraceful. They drew it out, and now he’s got such a hefty ban. It was an unfair decision, in my opinion. But there you go.

“For me, it hasn’t affected the way I feel about him, not in any way, shape or form. I saw what he did. I’ve watched it back.

“And for me, it was nonsense. That’s the way the game is these days, and that’s the way they see it. But I would have rather they reported him to the police, and the police would have let him off, because there’s no evidence, simple as that.”

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