August 23 – The Iron Elbow | On This Football Day

August 23 – The Iron Elbow

“WHAT do you have to do to get a red, kill someone?”

So pondered Pompey’s favourite cockney ‘Arry Redknapp after Man City’s Ben Thatcher had laid down his challenge to Maggie for the title of ‘hardest Thatcher’ by elbowing Pedro Mendes in the face, leaving the midfielder out cold and in need of oxygen and hospital treatment.

It was on this day in 2006 that Wales defender Thatcher and Portsmouth midfielder Mendes were both chasing down the ball during the league game between City and Pompey at Eastlands when Thatcher raised his arm and seemed to deliberately catch Mendes full in the face with his elbow.

Mendes hit the advertising hoardings and was lying unconscious by the side of the pitch. Thatcher walked away but Mendes’ team mate Glen Johnson immediately saw he was in a bad way and called for help.

After receiving oxygen he apparently suffered a seizure on his way to hospital where he spent the night before being released.

To Redknapp’s disgust Thatcher was only given a yellow card by the referee but the FA considered the incident to be a ‘special case’ and banned Thatcher for eight matches with a fifteen game suspended ban for two years. Man City also banned the player for six games and fined him six weeks’ wages.

Despite walking away from the unconscious Mendes at the time, Thatcher showed that sorry isn’t always the hardest word. “Immediately after the game I tried to find out how Pedro was,” he said afterwards. “I have written to him today apologising for what happened.”

Take a look at the challenge for yourself below, and take two minutes to pop back tomorrow to find out which famous striker was making his debut half a century ago.