FAW BANS THOMAS TAYLOR FOR FIVE YEARS OVER ELBOW ASSAULT

The Football Association of Wales has suspended footballer Thomas Taylor for a minimum of five years following an assault during a league match in January. Taylor elbowed opponent Daniel Brookwell during an Ardal North West league fixture between Porthmadog FC and Trearddur Bay on 17 January. The blow knocked Brookwell unconscious. An FAW disciplinary panel subsequently convened to consider a charge of violent conduct against Taylor and found the charge proven.

Taylor, from Llanddona on Anglesey, had already appeared before a criminal court, where he pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The court handed him a five-and-a-half-month suspended jail sentence, with the suspension running for 12 months. He was also fined £439, which included £200 in compensation paid to Brookwell. The FAW panel then issued its own sanction after written evidence was submitted, with the ban backdated to 22 January 2026, alongside a fine and an order to pay costs.

The FAW confirmed that Taylor's suspension covers all football-related activity on a Sine Die basis, meaning no review will be considered for at least five years. The governing body published its decision in a formal statement. Taylor has until Friday 13 June to lodge an appeal against the panel's ruling. The case represents one of the more significant disciplinary outcomes in Welsh football following criminal proceedings against a player.