Six-month ban for player after positive cocaine tests

A footballer has been banned for six months after twice testing positive for cocaine.

The player, who has not been named by the Football Association, first returned a positive finding early last year and appeared before a disciplinary hearing in August.

He was ordered to reappear in April 2005 while his case was reviewed but was caught again when drug-testers swooped between October and December.

According to UK Sport’s anti-doping database, the player appeared before an FA disciplinary hearing last month and was banned from all football-related activity for six months and fined.

In a similar case, another unnamed player has been given a suspended six-month ban after twice testing positive for marijuana.

He was due to re-appear before a disciplinary commission in September last year after returning a positive finding but he too was target-tested and was found to have used the drug again.

The FA have given him a conditional suspension of six months, suspended for two years.