Bowyer hit by FA charge

Newcastle midfielder Lee Bowyer was today charged with violent conduct by the Football Association

The charge stems from his unseemly brawl with team-mate Kieron Dyer towards the end of Saturday's 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa at St James' Park, which resulted in a straight red card.

Bowyer now serves an automatic four-match ban, starting with Sunday's Barclays Premiership match at Tottenham and including the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United on April 17, as it was his second dismissal this season in the Barclays Premiership.

However, the FA's disciplinary commission could yet decide to increase the punishment when they hear Bowyer's case on April 22.

Dyer, meanwhile, will discover later today whether his appeal to the FA against his red card has been successful.

Bowyer's future with the Magpies would appear to still be in doubt, however, especially after chairman Freddie Shepherd's admission yesterday the 28-year-old came close to the sack.

Speculation today has Bowyer on his way out of Tyneside in the summer, with the club thinking of their bank balance as they will look to make a significant profit on a player who cost them nothing from West Ham in July 2003.

Employment companies have confirmed that in any other business both Bowyer and Dyer would have been instantly dismissed for their fight, witnessed not just by the 50,000 at St James' Park, but millions more on television.

Bowyer, though, has been fined a club record six weeks' wages - estimated at £200,000 - and given a final written warning by Shepherd, while Dyer has escaped any punishment as he is deemed the innocent party.

"We certainly considered sacking Bowyer," confirmed Shepherd.

"We could have done - it was gross misconduct. But we thought a fine and a final warning was fitting."

Shepherd also stopped short of admitting he regretted employing Bowyer, adding: "It was the right thing to do for the club at the time but hindsight is a great management tool."

When asked if Bowyer should consider himself lucky to still be a Newcastle player, Shepherd replied: "He should go down on his hands and knees."

Agent David Giess has revealed Bowyer is now just looking to get on with his career and put the incident behind him, although the FA disciplinary commission will have the final say should they feel his actions warrant further punishment.

"He has held his hands up and accepted the fine," said Giess.

"He regrets what has happened, but that is it now. He had already apologised to Kieron Dyer privately before the public one yesterday."