Bristol Rovers have appealed Paul Coutts’ red card against Rochdale last Saturday which, if successful, will mean the Gas captain is available to face Scunthorpe United and the League Two play-offs, if required.
Coutts was dismissed for violent conduct deep in injury time after Rovers’ miraculous comeback as Joey Barton’s side came back from 3-1 down to win 4-3 and give themselves a shot at automatic promotion. The Scot was involved with an off-the-ball incident with a Rochdale player and was sent off by referee Ross Joyce amid chaotic scenes at Spotland.
Violent conduct carries a three-match ban but due to it being his second red card of the campaign, following his dismissal at Mansfield Town on the opening day of the season, Coutts faces an additional game added to the suspension.
That would take the 33-year-old out of this Saturday’s key fixture against Scunthorpe, with Rovers level on points with third-placed Northampton Town, but also, perhaps more crucially, the entire play-off campaign. Should Rovers be unable to claim the final automatic spot, they will require a two-legged semi-final and then a Wembley showdown to reach League One.
The incident was not captured on the live broadcast, by Quest or on iFollow, meaning the Football Association possess the referee’s report as evidence. It appears likely, therefore, that Rovers have their own footage, with club analysts filming every game, to contest the decision.
Speaking after the game, Barton said: “The lad, he (Coutts) said, barged him in the back and he’s a bit bigger than him and grabbed hold of him. But you can’t give the referee the option. You’ve got to stay incredibly disciplined and it’s tough in the midst of the emotion and the occasion.”
Coutts has been a hugely influential figure, on the field and in the dressing room, throughout Rovers’ surge up the League Two table in 2022 after struggling for form and fitness in the first half of the season having contracted Covid-19 last summer which denied him a proper pre-season.
Rovers will discover if they are successful before the weekend but if Coutts’ red fails to be overturned, veteran Glenn Whelan is expected to take his place in midfield against Scunthorpe.
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