Swindon Town are carrying out an internal disciplinary procedure for striker Harry Smith following his “unacceptable” red card against Barrow AFC.

Smith looks set to receive a three-match ban which will see him miss games against Newport County, Carlisle United, and Port Vale having been dismissed for violent conduct whilst Town were facing a Barrow side with ten players and without a recognised goalkeeper.

As Town prepared to take a corner, Smith was involved in a ruckus in the middle that saw him elbow Theo Vassell in the head and the referee promptly gave him his marching orders.

 

 

Mark Kennedy said that he was not sure but “would guess” that the dismissal would result in a three-match ban for Smith, which is the standard punishment when a player is sent off for violent conduct.

Former Premier League referee Chris Foy said to Sky on the incident: "The nature of this action is deemed a non-footballing one due to its aggressiveness and it therefore meets the threshold for violent conduct.

“After consultation with his fellow officials, the referee correctly shows a straight red card for the second time in this match."

With Smith set to serve the first game of his ban this weekend, Kennedy was asked about whether Town would be giving him any further punishment.

He said: “[Is there a disciplinary process?] Yes, 100 per cent.

“[Has he been fined?] That would always remain internal, feel free to speak to people above my head but that should always remain in-house.

“[Has a disciplinary action been taken?] As I sit here right now, all I have done is pass on my thoughts and my comments to my superiors and then I step away from it and leave it to them.

“I have just given them my thoughts on what should be done and what shouldn’t be done.”

Kennedy said after the Barrow game that he had not seen the incident and couldn’t comment on it at that time but was asked again ahead of Newport what he made of his striker seeing red in that fashion.

He said: “My reflections on what happened are that it is pretty obvious what happened. Why it happened or how it happened, I don’t know.

“If it happens to anybody then it is bitterly disappointing and unacceptable, so I was very shocked with that action and probably more so that it was Theo that was on the end of it.”