Daily Times

LONDON: Steve Harmison, the mild-mannered England fast bowler turned non-League football manager, has been given a 12-match ban following a confrontation with a referee. Harmison took charge of Northern League side Ashington – the famous footballing home of Jack and Bobby Charlton – just over a year ago, staved off relegation and has guided them into mid-table this time around. But the Northumberland FA have come down heavily on him after he allegedly raged at the referee when his striker Andrew Bulford was dismissed during a 1-0 defeat against Bishop Auckland. Harmison, who played his last Test at The Oval in 2009 and shared in England’s Ashes-winning series, was quoted upon taking the job as saying: “I was never a shouter as a player – the moment you lose your temper then you lose control.” Harmison is on holiday with his family in Jamaica, where his pulse rate can be assumed to be falling steadily, and is expected to appeal against the severity of the ban.