Post by tigertiger on Jul 7, 2009 12:36:14 GMT
Sheffield United have suspended keeper Paddy Kenny for failing a drugs test.
Kenny tested positive for a banned substance, ephedrine, following last season's Championship play-off semi-final second leg against Preston.
Ephedrine is believed to be present in a cough mixture that the Republic of Ireland star bought over the counter, BBC Radio Sheffield understands.
"We confirm Paddy has been suspended. This is an ongoing, confidential matter," read a club statement.
The 31-year-old will now be subject to a disciplinary inquiry by the Football Association and faces a range of possible sanctions from a reprimand up to a two-year ban.
The FA and UK Sport - the agency responsible for drug testing programmes in sport - have so far refused to comment.
Ephedrine is on the list of the World Anti-Doping Agency's specified substances but is contained in some cold cures, and a positive test does not carry the usual automatic two-year suspension.
Since 2007, however, four rugby players - two from rugby union and two from rugby league - have all been served with two-year bans after testing positive for ephedrine.
In three of those cases, the players involved took ephedrine tablets before a match, while in the fourth case the source of the stimulant was unclear.
In order to minimise his punishment, Kenny will have to attempt to prove that he did not take the drug in order to enhance his performance.
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Couldn't have happenec to a more deserved tosser remember him fouling Stuart Green and should have been sent off a few years ago but wasn't and spent the rest of the match taunting Hull City fans, he is a grade A knob pooe who i'd gladly see banned for a few years
Kenny tested positive for a banned substance, ephedrine, following last season's Championship play-off semi-final second leg against Preston.
Ephedrine is believed to be present in a cough mixture that the Republic of Ireland star bought over the counter, BBC Radio Sheffield understands.
"We confirm Paddy has been suspended. This is an ongoing, confidential matter," read a club statement.
The 31-year-old will now be subject to a disciplinary inquiry by the Football Association and faces a range of possible sanctions from a reprimand up to a two-year ban.
The FA and UK Sport - the agency responsible for drug testing programmes in sport - have so far refused to comment.
Ephedrine is on the list of the World Anti-Doping Agency's specified substances but is contained in some cold cures, and a positive test does not carry the usual automatic two-year suspension.
Since 2007, however, four rugby players - two from rugby union and two from rugby league - have all been served with two-year bans after testing positive for ephedrine.
In three of those cases, the players involved took ephedrine tablets before a match, while in the fourth case the source of the stimulant was unclear.
In order to minimise his punishment, Kenny will have to attempt to prove that he did not take the drug in order to enhance his performance.
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Couldn't have happenec to a more deserved tosser remember him fouling Stuart Green and should have been sent off a few years ago but wasn't and spent the rest of the match taunting Hull City fans, he is a grade A knob pooe who i'd gladly see banned for a few years