CRAWLEY Town’s manager has been hit with a touchline ban and fine after he used “abusive and insulting words” towards a referee.

John Yems called match officials “clowns” after Hartlepool’s striker Omar Bogle escaped a red card for a foul on Jack Payne.

Bogle later scored the goal which gave his side a 1-0 win at the People’s Pension Stadium on February 12.

Yems was red-carded for his complaints at the final whistle.

He then issued a stinging attack on referee Brett Huxtable and his assistants in an interview published on the official club website and social media platforms.

John Yems has been suspended from the touchline for three matches and given a £2,250 fine by the Football Association (FA).

The 62-year-old said in the interview after the Hartlepool match: “He (Huxtable) can’t move around the pitch.

“I don’t want to see anybody sent off but you see a tackle out there today.

“The geezer (Bogle) should have got six months, let alone a yellow card.

“And you can’t talk to him about it.

“You get the hump. Of course you get the hump.

“And I get sent off - deservedly. You shouldn’t talk to referees like that.

“But if that’s a referee, I’m going to take the game up myself because that is not acceptable.

“The three of them, to be fair.

“The fourth official has agreed he should have gone.

“And then the geezer scores a goal “Payney will be out now.

“Payney has got a mark on his leg like Jack The Ripper has got hold of him.

“But you can’t say nothing to these clowns because they won’t do nothing.

“And I mean clowns. Absolutely ruined the game.”

A spokesman for the FA said: “John Yems has been suspended from the touchline for three matches and fined £2,250 after admitting a consolidated charge for four breaches of FA rule E3.

“The Crawley Town FC manager used abusive and insulting words towards a match official following the end of their EFL League 2 fixture against Hartlepool United FC on Saturday, February 12.

The Argus: John Yems has been in charge since 2019John Yems has been in charge since 2019

“He also used abusive and insulting words and gestures towards a match official following his dismissal.

“In addition, comments made by John Yems during media interviews for the club and a local newspaper following the same fixture constituted improper conduct as they are personally offensive and attack the integrity of the match official and bring the game into disrepute.

“An independent regulatory commission was subsequently convened and imposed the above sanction during a paper hearing.”

Yems will not be allowed on the touchline during Crawley’s matches at home to Scunthorpe this Saturday, Bristol Rovers on Tuesday, March 8, as well as their trip to Stoke-on-Trent where they take on Port Vale on Saturday, March 12.

Scunthorpe sit bottom of the table, while Bristol Rovers and Port Vale are just above Crawley Town in ninth and 10th with 51 and 50 points to Crawley’s 44 points.

Yems’ first game back will be for Crawley’s fixture against Exeter City on Tuesday, March 15.

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