The day Barnsley’s Ian Banks got ejected from a game he didn’t play in

This day in football history

On 16 December 1989, Barnsley substitute Ian Banks received a red card without even stepping onto the pitch.

Barnsley, then sitting in 20th place in Division Two, were away at 16th-place Bournemouth. The hosts had just scored their second goal from an apparently questionable offside position, when the Barnsley manager called on Banks.

As the midfielder warmed up on the touchline waiting to be waved on, he berated the nearby linesman for not raising his flag on the Bournemouth goal. Reports do not record his exact words, but they were strong enough to earn him a straight red card. It was the quickest ejection for a substitute in Football League history.

Down a man, Barnsley proceeded to lose 2–1. They survived the season, however, finishing in 19th place, while Bournemouth finished in 22nd and were relegated to the Third Division.