The official reason Jason Tindall is not banned for Newcastle United against Manchester United

Tindall was shown a red card following an incident that took place in the St James’ Park tunnel at half-time in Newcastle’s 3-0 win over Aston Villa on Boxing Day. Villa analyst Victor Manas was also shown a red card.

Tindall had to watch the remainder of the game from the stands and was expected to serve a one-match touchline ban at Old Trafford. But both Newcastle and the Football Association have confirmed that Tindall will be in the dugout alongside head coach Eddie Howe for the match against Manchester United.

Here’s why...

Why Jason Tindall is not banned for Newcastle United

While red card dismissals for coaching staff can lead to touchline bans, they are not automatically enforced. Instead, the incidents are reported to the FA, who conduct an investigation.

The only time a touchline ban is automatically enforced is when an individual accumulates a certain number of yellow cards for their conduct on the sidelines. Three bookings lead to a one-match ban, six bookings is two matches and nine bookings is three matches.

12 bookings lead to a misconduct charge and a regulatory commission hearing.

The FA are investigating whether Newcastle and Aston Villa are in breach of FA Rule E20.1 for failing to ensure “all directors, players, officials, employees, servants, representatives, spectators, and all persons purporting to be its supporters or followers, to conduct themselves in an orderly fashion.”

As things stand, Tindall will remain available on the touchline for Newcastle.

Why Jason Tindall was sent off for Newcastle United

Tindall was involved in an incident that was described as a ‘20-man melee’ in the tunnel at half-time at St James’ Park on Boxing Day.

Providing an eye-witness account of the event, Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe said: “I saw plenty [of the incident]. I don't know the actual details of why he was sent off, that would need some clarification from me because if you're going to send him off you could probably send 10 to 15 people off. I'm not quite sure what he's been charged with.

“I don't think [a ‘20-man melee’] is far off, I think. These things always start not with the intention of it happening in the way that it did. It was probably 17 or 18 people trying to calm it down but what it looks like then is more people are involved and no one wants to see that.

“It's not at all how I want my players and staff to be but sometimes you have to stand up for what you think is right and protect each other.

“I'm not 100% sure [what happened], it goes over in a blur and I was right at the top of it. I think frustration spilling out from what happened in the first half.”

Could Jason Tindall still be banned for Newcastle United?

As revealed by The Gazette, the FA are investigating the incident that took place in the tunnel at half-time. This could lead to a touchline ban for Tindall if he is found guilty of misconduct.

Tindall also re-emerged on the touchline following the win over Aston Villa sporting a Newcastle-inspired ‘WHAM! Last Christmas’ hoodie. FA rules state: “If an individual is dismissed from the technical area, they are no longer permitted to observe the remainder of the game; return to the field of play post-match or conduct post-match media interviews or conferences.”