By Andrew Clarke

Last updated at 13:54, Thursday, 09 August 2012

An amateur rugby league player who was banned from the game for two years for punching a fan has had his ban reduced to 12 months on appeal.

Martin Thompson

Related: Cumbrian amateur RL player will fight two-year ban

Martin Thompson, 27, was given the original ban by the Cumberland Amateur Rugby League management committee two weeks ago as punishment for his role in the violence that erupted in a cup final at Lowca between his club, Kells A, and Flimby on July 14.

Mr Thompson left the field of play early in the second half to confront an opposing fan and a brawl ensued which resulted in the match being abandoned.

The player, who claimed to have been provoked by the behaviour of the opposing fans, took his appeal to the committee of the British Amateur Rugby League Association (Barla). The committee has now reduced the ban by a year, which rules Mr Thompson out until August 31, 2013.

The panel ruled: “On studying the officials’ reports, the panel accepted that the player had acted under extreme provocation from the Flimby touchline.

“The panel felt that an early intervention from the officials may have defused any potential flashpoint.”

First published at 11:24, Thursday, 09 August 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk