Davis Banned For Three Games
Friday, 13th Mar 2026 16:00

Town will be without Leif Davis for the next three games, the left-back having been banned for for violent conduct following an incident in the 1-1 draw with Leicester City last Saturday.

The suspension, which will see Davis miss tomorrow’s game at Sheffield Wednesday, next Saturday’s home match against Millwall and Birmingham’s visit to Portman Road following the international break on Easter Monday, relates to his first-half clash with Foxes defender Caleb Okoli.

Davis pulled the Italian’s hair, the Leicester player subsequently kicked out at the Town full-back, who then pushed Okoli over.

The Foxes claimed a penalty but referee John Busby, who later denied the Blues two spot-kicks which the PGMOL later admitted should have been awarded, spoke to both players without censure.

Davis, 26, accepted the charge but challenged the length of the ban but independent regulatory commission upheld the three-game suspension earlier this afternoon.

An FA statement reads: “Ipswich Town's Leif Davis has been given a three-match ban for misconduct during their EFL Championship match against Leicester City on Saturday 7th March.

“The defender's behaviour around the 27th minute wasn’t seen by the match officials at the time, but it was caught on video and The FA subsequently alleged that this constitutes violent conduct.

“Leif Davis subsequently admitted the charge but claimed that the automatic penalty was clearly excessive.

“An independent regulatory commission dismissed this claim and imposed the standard punishment of a three-match suspension for violent conduct. The regulatory commission’s written reasons will be published in due course.”

A Town statement reads: “The club acknowledges the violent conduct charge against Leif Davis, following an incident in last weekend’s game with Leicester City.

“The defender will now serve a three-match ban, effective immediately, beginning with this weekend’s visit to Sheffield Wednesday.”

Town CEO and chairman Mark Ashton expressed his anger regarding the ban, which as well as the two penalty incidents against Leicester, comes days after Stoke were wrongly awarded a spot-kick which saw them net an injury time leveller against the Blues at the bet365 Stadium.

“Following a week of frustration regarding officiating, I am incensed by the timing, process and outcome regarding this incident,” Ashton said.

“We are currently awaiting written reasons, which we expect to be full, clear and transparent, and will reserve the club’s position until that point.”

The Blues are already without central defender Cedric Kipre for the next two matches after he reached 10 yellow cards, also in controversial circumstances.

The Ivorian’s ninth was given for his protests after not being awarded the late penalty against the Foxes and the 10th for the foul which led to the late spot-kick at Stoke, which was later confirmed to be an incorrect decision. Yellow cards can’t be appealed. His second of the season was given in the abandoned game at Blackburn Rovers in September.

Town are now short on defenders with Ashley Young not back from his hip injury until after the international break.

Ben Johnson seems set to replace Davis, while the Blues will be hoping Darnell Furlong at right-back can avoid a 10th yellow card and subsequent two-match ban before the cut-off at the end of tomorrow’s match at Hillsborough. Anis Mehmeti and Azor Matusiwa will be walking a similar yellow card tightrope against the Owls.

Photo: Action Images

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PortmanTerrorist added 16:05 - Mar 13 EFL loooooves us ! NOT
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Paulc added 16:13 - Mar 13 I wasn’t at the Leicester game. All I heard afterwards was the penalty incidents, literally no one has mentioned this. If Leif had pulled the guys hair then a 3 match ban is standard I’m afraid. Ok give us a mountain to climb, maybe having adversity to run towards could be the making of our season.
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BlueFalcon added 16:16 - Mar 13 But they won't make post-game change to Kipre's ban...
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RegencyBlue added 16:16 - Mar 13 They really don’t want us to go up do they!
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muhrensleftfoot added 16:17 - Mar 13 Wow that’s come from nowhere. I don’t recall the incident, but it sounds like handbags rather than violent conduct. Without Kipre too. A chance perhaps for Baggott?
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SamWhiteUK added 16:19 - Mar 13 Oh fantastic, what great timing. I've just watched it back. Not convinced the hair pull is deliberate from the one camera angle (but silly if it is), so is the violent conduct for the push (which the Leicester player makes a meal of)? Presumably the Leicester player gets off without any penalty despite kicking out? Deary me.
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MickMillsTash added 16:19 - Mar 13 I didn't see it but if he pulled his hair we were lucky he did not get sent off. Furlong had better behave himself tomorrow- cut out the nonsense Housery.
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RetroBlue added 16:20 - Mar 13 Load of bollox
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algarvefan added 16:27 - Mar 13 Somebody is out to get us!!!!!!!
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oldbri added 16:27 - Mar 13

the amount of times i have seen , what could have been seen as violent conduct against us , that was deemed a coming together, with nothing done about .It does not seem fair and reasonable. Especially after the last two games with penalties not give for us and incorrect penalty against us. this also means that the incorrect yellow given to Cedrick cannot be rescinded. Perhaps the EFL and its incompetent officials need a red card or two.

OldFart71 added 16:29 - Mar 13

It's a good job players like Billy Bremner, Chopper Harris etc aren't playing today as most teams wouldn't have enough players available for their first eleven most weeks.
Do we get retrospective penalties and points back for pens given against us that weren't.
This situation seems odd to me because if a ref doesn't give a decision because he doesn't see it I thought things like cards whether yellow or red couldn't be retrospective. Did someone report the incident to the FA ?
Kipre got a yellow card for protesting at the penalty decision which was subsequently seen as being a penalty. Therefore he was correct in challenging it. But now has a ban ? Seems to me that all decisions are loaded one way.

mellowblue added 16:36 - Mar 13 I saw it and thought it a stupid thing to do in your own penalty area. Could easily have been a red (and a pen?) if the ref wasn't running back to the half way line.
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ITFC_1994 added 16:37 - Mar 13

Absolute disgrace. EFL/PGMOL don't help themselves, do they.

Didn't notice it during the game and looks like nothing. Why are people talking about a hair pull?? Because the Liecester player had long hair?

Ridiculous. Banning our best player for 3 games for nothing, after two scandalous penalty decision.

Get in to em Ashton.

No Leif or Kipre for 3 vital games....Time to run towards adversity, as they say.....

StrathdonBlue added 16:38 - Mar 13 Unlike a couple of other contentious decisions in that game and at Stoke, I don't think we really have much cause to grumble about this one. I saw the clash at the time and thought we'd got away with one. It could easily have been a penalty and a red card.
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runaround added 16:39 - Mar 13

Total lack of consistency again from the powers that be. Remember Hayden Hackney not getting a 3 match ban for booting that player in the legs off the ball a couple months ago?
Double standards as always and feels like they are going out of their way to punish us. The incident last Saturday was right in front of me and whilst I saw the kick from their player and the retaliation push from Leif I saw no hair pull

oioihardy added 16:41 - Mar 13 At this point they are trying to find anyway possible to stop a ipswich town promotion. They are against us . Its clear
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Bluewhiteboy added 16:41 - Mar 13 Oh my have really become Liverpool of the south, always the victim. Reality is were lucky ref dudbt see it or wed have had him sent off and likeky lost the game.
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Elizabeth added 16:51 - Mar 13 CONSPIRACY of the highest order .. this is getting ridiculous!!! Referees need to take a long hard look at themselves!! Assistant referee must have seen the incident, and he did nothing .. Absolutely seething !!
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TractorBoyC17 added 16:54 - Mar 13 Surely a chance for Elkan Baggott to slot in against Dara, with Greaves at left back. Walton Furlong O'shea Baggott Greaves Cajuste (gives Azor time to rest for Millwall and avoid yellow card) Taylor Burns Mehmeti Clarke Hirst
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poet added 16:54 - Mar 13 After being embarrassed by his own incompetence, this referee is displaying a severe case of ‘little man’ syndrome. It’s disgusting that the EFL are backing his decision.
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poet added 16:58 - Mar 13 TractorBoy, can’t play Baggott he’s hardly played all season. I think he’ll play Johnson out of position a left back.
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flykickingbybgunn added 17:04 - Mar 13 How long a ban did the ref get for being incompetant.
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Orraman added 17:05 - Mar 13 The moral of this story is - Don’t complain about our referees because we will come back to haunt you. That Leicester game is going to be very costly
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philpott2 added 17:06 - Mar 13

Double-standards but par for the course it seems, with football and the suits that run it.
I did see that and was surprised nothing came of it.
They really do need to start clamping down in all of the cheating, diving and pretence if they can go back and do this.
Kipre should have his yellow rescinded to.
Against Stoke there was an incident where one of their players who was on the floor had a kick at a Town player as wasn't happy with being tackled and ending up on the deck. I rewound to watch it again at the time and thought why was that not picked up....and surprise surprise, nothing comes of it retrospectively, yet this does.
The squad are going to have to come together and put some fight into the next few matches, may be the making of them with backs to the wall and all that. Band of brothers.
We can but hope.

philpott2 added 17:11 - Mar 13 I'd have Burns at right back, Furlong at left back and somebody tenacious in front of them Taylor and Neil maybe, or Johnson in front of them. They will make mistakes so have players with legs and reasonable pace. A slight system change might be in order.
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