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Imagine the scene. You're Micah Richards sitting down in the away dressing room of White Hart Lane. You're brimming with pride once again to lead your team against Tottenham Hotspur and much like the standard, holding up the Lion Rampant on your crest, you're prepared.
You don't worry about the future. You messed up against Swansea City and let your passion get the best of you - that will have to wait. It won't matter in 90 minutes and your new manager will have plenty of time to prepare for your absence against Manchester City and possibly Everton. You just need to focus on the next couple of hours.
Wait a second, your phone is going crazy! Vibrating all over the shop like Gabby's shinpads when the ball clips off them into row Z. What could be going on?! You scroll through twitter and see a tweet from the FA! Have you been called up into the England Sqa-
Micah Richards fined £10,000 and given one-match suspension after admitting charge https://t.co/cw9N3ikeFt pic.twitter.com/hy49EjfYvc
— The FA (@FA) November 2, 2015
Oh crumbs.
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Speaking not only as an Aston Villa fan, but a fan of the sport of Football - how in any world does this make sense. In case you're not following from my excellently written short story above: MICAH RICHARDS HAS BEEN BANNED 90 MINUTES BEFORE HE PLAYS A GAME.
Micah clearly spat in the face of the football gods during his scuffle with a few Swansea City players last Saturday, but surely he could have been notified of his ban then and not now, likely a few hours after he was chosen in a matchday squad.
I'm not sure how much more I can say about this, because in any context - the timing of this ban is ridiculous and an absolute insult to the organisational abilities of everyone everywhere. Instead, I'll finish this article with a number of tweets showcasing the idiocy of the F.A.
Imagine suspending a player 90 minutes before kick off
— George (@AVGeorge_) November 2, 2015
I mean, as proven by the below tweet, even a Chelsea fan can agree with us!
Micah Richards accepted his FA charge of improper conduct 3 days ago, been suspended 4 tonight's game, a HOUR b4 kick off I give u The #FA
— Andy (@ChelsLad66) November 2, 2015
Just look at this.
How have the fa suspended Micah Richards one hour before the game's meant to start divs the lot of them
— Rahim (@RahimH94) November 2, 2015
There's no question that Richards deserves a ban, but to award it shortly before a match is a slap in the face to Villa fans and to football at large. Sort it out lads.