Everton learn reasons for failed Keane red card appeal

Everton manager David Moyes has learned the full written reasons for the failed appeal against Michael Keane's dismissal at home to Wolves.

Keane was sent off following a VAR review after pulling the hair of Tolu Arokodare in the 1-1 draw on 7 January.

Moyes said he was "angry with the panel" after his attempt to get the red card overturned was rejected. A secondary appeal to get the punishment reduced from the statutory three games was also turned down.

The Football Association's regulatory commission was made up of three former players: Stuart Ripley (played for Middlesbrough, Blackburn, Southampton), Udo Onwere (Fulham, Lincoln, Barnet) and Andy Walker (Motherwell, Celtic, Bolton).

In his criticism, Moyes added: "Hugely disappointed. Hugely surprised. I know who the three are and I'm amazed they in some way didn't overturn it."

It was a close run thing, however. The panel voted 2:1 that the red card was not incorrect and three games was not excessive. How each panel member voted is not revealed.

The Premier League's Key Match Incidents Panel unanimously voted that the red card was correct.

Moyes argued that it could not be violent conduct because Keane was challenging for a header.

The majority view was that "the forceful pulling of a person's hair can be said to fall outside the normal constituent elements of a challenge in football".

The panel member who believed the appeal should be upheld said it was "an action born out of instinct and of such minimal force that it ought not to have been categorised as violent conduct".

The appeal against the length of the ban was rejected because it was felt a red card for pulling an opponent's hair could not be seen as "truly exceptional".

The panel added that "in the wider interests of football 'hair pulling' ought not to be tolerated and should be discouraged".