West Ham captain Kevin Nolan’s three match ban over Christmas is the fifth season in a row he has picked up a suspension in December.
Nolan’s straight red card for a deliberate stamp at Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson at Anfield will rule him out of the trip up north to Manchester United.
Last season he picked up a fifth booking of the season against Reading on Boxing Day that saw him suspended for our next game against Norwich on New Year’s Day.
In 2011 he was banned for West Ham’s match against Derby on December 29th after collecting five bookings after a tackle on Zigic of Birmingham which was almost a carbon copy of the Jordan Hendicerson which got him sent off!.
A fifth caution of the season against Manchester City on Boxing Day 2010 while playing for Newcastle meant he missed the trip to Spurs two days later.
In 2009, while a Newcastle player a red card against Watford on December 5th led to a one-game ban.
At the Season Ticket Holders Fans Forum earlier this moth he apologised for his silly challenge but strongly denied he wanted to have time off. The video can be seen below.
Kevin said “It was a silly tackle and stupid of me. I’m rarely disappointed in myself but I am sorry for that. I apologised to all the lads as well”
“I’ll be working hard on the training ground,” the 31-year-old said. “I’m certainly not getting away with it. I’ll be in on Wednesday while all the other lads are off”
David Gold later that evening suggested Kevin Nolan’s ban would give Ravel Morrison a chance to shine and gave a strange analogy of how catching his best friend with his wife led to strange twist of good fortune in his life.
I met Kevin Nolan on Wednesday at the Fans Forum and submitted a question on why the gaffer always chooses him to start if he is fit. The question didn’t make the cut for questions to be asked.