Sign up NOW for our daily Villa newsletter direct to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Keith Wyness will be banned from Aston Villa activity for three weeks by the FA over a tweet which the CEO has called an honest mistake.

Wyness has been suspended from all football and football-related activity for three weeks for misconduct via social media.

The 59-year-old retweeted a post which included footage of a controversial penalty appeal after Villa's 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion.

On the tweet included the caption which referred to a referee as 'disabled' - a caption Wyness insists he didn't see.

He has also been banned by the FA and has been handed a £10,000 fine.

He admitted an FA charge that a comment he re-tweeted accompanied with a video was abusive and/or insulting and/or improper and/or brought the game into disrepute contrary to FA Rule E3(1). Furthermore, the breach was “aggravated” as defined in FA Rule E3(2), as it included a reference to disability.

Following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing, Wyness was also fined £10,000 and ordered to complete an education course.

His suspension will run from date of the expiry of the period that he has to appeal the decision.

Mr Wyness called the retweet a mistake and swiftly apologised to anyone who had been offended by the error.

He said at the time: “It was a genuine mistake and as soon as it was brought to my attention I realised my error and acted immediately.

“I simply saw the video and not the comment attached to it. I send my sincerest apologies to anyone I may have offended and would like to re-affirm the club’s commitment to its work with people of all ages and abilities particularly our Foundation’s sterling work in delivering our core values.”