Ollie Clarke Faces Seven-Match Ban for Disciplinary Violations

Ollie Clarke, who joined Swindon Town in the summer of 2024 from Mansfield Town, has made 55 appearances and scored eight goals for the club.

Recently, Swindon Town captain Ollie Clarke was handed a seven-match suspension for what was described in a disciplinary report as “highly violating and intentional foul play” involving two opposing players’ private body parts during a match.

The 33-year-old midfielder was also fined £2,750 after admitting to two charges from the Football Association concerning improper conduct and indecent behavior towards an opponent.

These incidents occurred in the 57th and 94th minutes of Swindon’s Carabao Cup defeat against Cardiff City on August 12.

In the written rationale for the suspension, released on Monday, an independent Regulatory Commission from the FA noted that Clarke’s misconduct was aggravated by the occurrences happening just 37 minutes apart within the same match.

It was reported that one player, who alerted the referee to one of the incidents after the match, was “visibly upset” and “very emotional, struggling to articulate his feelings” regarding the situation.

While the report refrained from specifying Clarke’s actions, Swindon Town released a statement asserting that Clarke “maintained his innocence” and admitted to the charges only on the basis that both were “unintentional”. The club expressed its ongoing support for Clarke moving forward.

However, the Regulatory Commission rejected Clarke’s assertion that the actions were unintentional, arguing that there was “no plausible explanation” for touching an opponent’s private body parts during a game, particularly when play had ceased.

Following the imposition of the ban last month, Swindon expressed their belief that the decision did not meet the standard of proof required beyond reasonable doubt, but rather was determined on the balance of probabilities.

Clarke’s last appearance for the Robins took place on December 13, and he still has three matches remaining on his suspension.