Sent off NCEL managers will sit out rest of game out in the dressing rooms

Northern Counties East League chairman David Morrall

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By James Grayson (@jamesAgrayson, @NonLeagueNorth)
Toolstation NCEL managers dismissed during a match this season will no longer be allowed to watch the rest of the game from the stands.
Managers sent off will now have to sit games out in either the relevant club’s changing rooms or social club.
This is the new directive – which has been used successfully in the Football Conference for a number of years – that has been brought in to improve general behaviour across the NCEL.
Clubs were informed of the rule at the NCEL clubs’ meeting at the West Riding County FA earlier today.
League chairman David Morrall told Non League Yorkshire: “I think there has been a general realisation in the game that a club manager sets the tone within any club.
“Stats will actually tell you that a well disciplined manager generally has a well-disciplined team.
“If he oversteps the manager and is in the technical area then he will be asked to leave the technical area and go to the dressing room.
“He won’t be stood around the technical area where there is potential for further trouble to be caused.
“It (having managers unable to watch the match) is certainly not what clubs want.
“Now we have got this message out via the secretaries, I’m sure that every NCEL chairman will be speaking to his team manager to remind him of his responsibilities.”
The Conference brought in the directive midway through the last decade.
Notable managers who fell of the rule included Steve Evans, who once watched his Crawley Town team from the team coach outside a ground after being sent off.
Then Ebbsfleet United manager Liam Daish was told to leave Altrincham’s Moss Rose and he was forced to view the game through some high metal gates.
Another Conference manager watched an match through a very small window in the dressing room.
Even before a fine and ban is dished out, the punishment for dismissed managers is huge so Mr Morrall is confident the initiative will work.
“There is constant good practice shared (at FA meetings) and this is an area that has been proven because it is far better for the dismissed manager to be in the dressing room,” he added.
“Invariably the temperature of the game will go down.
“It is a massive punishment straightaway.
“We are looking for team managers to set the tone and lead by example. You will find that clubs and players will actually follow that tone.
“A good example is when I went to Brighouse last season. I was stood at the side of Paul Quinn and all I heard was constructive coaching.
“That reflected in how the team conducted itself in a fair manner.”
At the meeting held at the West Riding’s wonderful facilities at Fleet Lane, clubs were informed about ways to report uses of discrimation.
Racist and homophobic abuse can be reported through an app on a mobile phone.
More information about this app can be found HERE.