Newton Ban ‘Not Enough’

Shaun Newton back returns to the first-team squad after ban for taking cocaine.

Newton was suspended by the club in May and banned for seven months.

He will be available for the match with Fulham on December 23.

However, the Hammers boss says the ban was not enough.

Alan Pardew: ‘I think we should do what athletics do – if it’s a drug ban it should be two years.

‘The lines are always cloudy and you don’t want someone to get two years for a headache tablet, but when it’s clear and thorough then that would deter any player doing it socially, which is what Shaun Newton was caught doing.

‘He’s served a punishment and was very lucky that it wasn’t more severe.

‘We went to the FA, they gave him his ban, he’s served his ban and he should be allowed to work again.

‘Shaun’s been training well. I told him he’s been playing better since the ban, I think he realises he can’t be picked so he’s not as nervous.

‘He’s been terrific, to be fair. He knows he made a very big error and he’s an example of how to react in the right way.

‘He’ll start with a clean slate with us and in some way hopefully it will turn into a positive thing for him.

‘As a professional footballer you have responsibilities to the public in your position, the thing he did was not the right example to set and I think he’s grown from that.’