Bristol Rovers head coach Joey Barton was given a three-game ground ban for misconduct in the team’s loss to Sheffield on Wednesday.
He admitted to using abusive, insulting and inappropriate words towards a match official in the tunnel and the officials’ locker room after the match.
The 40-year-old will miss the first three games of Rovers’ 2023-24 campaign and has also been fined £3,000.
BBC Radio Bristol understands that Bristol Rovers will appeal the decision.
Barton criticized the referees following the game, particularly after John Marquis had a goal ruled out for offside.
“You rely on the officials to make the right important decisions and unfortunately tonight the linesman guessed as they do at this level,” he told BBC Radio Bristol.
“I was always worried when I saw the referee, every time I grabbed him he was doing something crazy, that referee, not really putting it on his toes. His official, the linesman, has a job to do. It’s disappointing when they guess, sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn’t.”
