Banned Evans will still be involved (From Herald Series)

Banned Evans will still be involved

9:50am Friday 28th September 2012 in Sport By Mark Edwards, Sports Editor. Call me on 01865 425451

STEVE Evans will not be at tomorrow’s match – but will still have his say on what happens.

The Rotherham boss was given a six-match stadium ban and fined £3,000 by the Football Association after being found guilty of using abusive and insulting words and behaviour with a reference to gender during a League Two match former side Crawley and Bradford City in March. The match finished with ugly scenes as a mass brawl led to five players being sent off in the changing room. Evans left Crawley for Rotherham two weeks after the incident. The ban prohibits the Scot from attending the ground at which his side is playing at any time during a match day.

But it doesn’t stop him from having his say before and during Rotherham’s matches.

With every Football League club required to video their home matches, Rotherham got special permission to stream the game to Evans, who watches it from the front room of his flat.

The 49-year-old meets with the players in a hotel for their pre-match meal and goes through the tactics with them.

But when his team travel to the ground ready for kick-off, Evans heads home.

He is allowed to keep in contact with assistant Paul Raynor throughout the game, with the duo spending a lot of time on the phone during the match.