Newry City boss Barry Gray gets six-match ban reduced to two games following appeal

The Newry gaffer will still miss two games – against Carrick Rangers on March 9 and Linfield on March 16 – but crucially, he will be on the touchline in Newry’s crunch games in the end-of-season split, where they will play their last five games of the season against fellow teams in the bottom six.

The ban was in relation to post-match comments Gray made following his side’s 2-1 defeat against Cliftonville in January. The Newry boss was highly critical of the performance of referee Evan Boyce and his officials.

A statement from the Irish Football Association's Disciplinary Committee read: "On Wednesday evening the Irish Football Association’s Disciplinary Committee considered a Newry City AFC challenge on behalf of first team manager Barry Gray.

"Mr Gray accepted the Notice of Complaint for the alleged breach of Article 19.2 of the Irish FA Disciplinary Code but wished to challenge the sanction offered in relation to the six-match standard suspension and £1000 fine imposed on Newry City AFC.

"Following the submissions made in mitigation the Disciplinary Committee determined that the appropriate sanction would be to impose a two-match standard suspension on Mr Gray which must be served effective from Monday 4 March 2024.

"The committee reduced the £1000 fine imposed on Newry City AFC to £400.

"Mr Gray has also been given a suspended four-match standard suspension which the committee may consider activating pending any further misconduct by Mr Gray by the end of the season or 31 May 2024, whichever is the latter.

"The committee further determined Mr Gray must make a formal apology to each match official that officiated at the game on Saturday 13 January 2024."

Newry City remain five points adrift of Ballymena United at the bottom of the Premiership table. They have no fixture this weekend, and return to action on March 9, when they travel away to Carrick Rangers.