Havant manager Paul Doswell has been handed a six-match ban by the FA following their National League South game against Ebbsfleet last season.

The ill-tempered match in February 2021 saw three red cards – although Fleet’s Chris Solly subsequently won an appeal against his dismissal – while both managers were also sent from the dugout.

Doswell has also been ordered to attend a face-to-face FA education course after a breach of FA rules E3.1 and E3.2.

The charge, published on the FA website, stated "Breach of FA Rule E3.1 - It is alleged that in or around the 42nd minute of the fixture, the Participant’s language and/or behaviour was abusive and/or insulting and/or improper, contrary to Rule E3.1. It is further alleged that this breach of FA Rule E3.1 is an “Aggravated Breach” as defined in Rule E3.2, as it included a reference (express or implied) to nationality.”

The result of the charge is listed by the FA as "6 Match suspension" and "Face to face FA education course". The FA do not state whether Doswell admitted or contested the charge.

Fleet boss Dennis Kutrieb refused to be drawn on specific details about the incident earlier this season when the two teams met again in the league at Stonebridge Road.

Havant won the game 2-1 but there was clearly bad blood between the pair. Doswell was seen in long conversation with referee Richie Watkins both at half-time and after the full-time whistle while Kutrieb ‘shook hands’ with members of the Havant management team - except Doswell - after the game.

Ebbsfleet, including manager Kutrieb, were still on the field when Doswell finished talking to the official and there then appeared to be an incident between both parties, which left the Fleet boss visibly angry.

Talking after the game in September, Kutrieb said: “It’s tough for me to speak about it.

“Last season we experienced at their place some bad things and other authorities dealt with it or are trying to deal with it at the moment. I don’t want to say too much but it happened again.

“That’s really hard to take because if we win or lose that’s easy for me. Of course, I hate losing but I can take it because we played a good game. But all other things are not for me and it’s not football. It’s (about being a) human being and behaving in the right way.

“I see every player taking the knee and everyone is aware of it and you talk about it, but as long as you have people that don’t care about it then you don’t need to do it from my point of view.

“Hopefully other people can deal with it a bit quicker than last time. I don’t know if the referees are brave enough to do something, sometimes they are, sometimes they are not.

“In football when you experience different things and things which can hurt people and human beings, not managers, not players, it doesn’t matter if black, if white, if German, if English, when you want to take the knee to show everyone in the world we are aware of it, but if we’re honest then we’re not aware of it.”

In the summer, Doswell backed his club’s stance after a matchday volunteer was relieved of all Havant duties following social media posts directed at England players Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka following the Euro 2020 final penalty shoot-out defeat to Italy.

Doswell told The News in July: “I 100 per cent agreed with the club’s statement. We talked to the players about the statement.

“I applaud the quickness in which the board got the statement out - it’s been well received.

“From our perspective, it’s disappointing that it happened, but the response has been swift and we just don’t stand for it. In this day and age it’s ridiculous.

“We won’t accept anything even remotely like that. We’ve had our meeting as a staff and players, they were very pleased the statement was out so quickly, there’s a zero tolerance to it.

“I’d expect that to have been the same from the chairman right the way down to the lovely tea lady - it’s just not acceptable.

“There’s a zero tolerance policy with us. You’ve only got to look at our squad over the past few seasons, it’s integrated right the way through.”