Football flashback: Looking back at Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer being sent off for fighting each other at Newcastle

It was a day late for an April Fool's joke, but there was no joking around a stunned St James' Park as Newcastle fans saw their side reduced to eight men after both of their midfielders were dismissed in the closing stages.

Steven Taylor had already seen red for his infamous handball, but even that was overshadowed but what happened at the end of their 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa that left the footballing world stunned.

We've seen arguments and even handbags between players before, but perhaps none so full-on as this, with Bowyer looking like the aggressor throughout and eventually being dragged away with his shirt ripped, red faced and still fuming.

Being 3-0 down and having 50,000 fans on your back won't have helped, but the spat apprently started in training on the Friday before the game, as Taylor later explained.

“It all started in training on the Friday. We used to play for the yellow jersey - three seven-minute games and for some reason they were missing a lot of chances and they were saying to each other they weren’t going to pass to each other because you can’t finish.

“I don’t know whether it was an ego thing but then it got to the game day and during the game they wouldn’t pass to each other."

That led to their argument blowing up into a fist fight, which opposition midfielder Gareth Barry had to help break up before referee Barry Knight showed both men the red card - much to Dyer's confusion.

“I didn’t realise that you could get sent off for fighting your team-mate," he said later. "The referee came over and showed me the red card. Then he sent Bow off, too. The crowd had been on our case because we were 3-0 down at home to Aston Villa.

“His whole demeanour changed. He had gone and I knew he had gone."

Manager Graeme Souness, who threatened to fight both of them in the dressing room afterwards, dragged them both out in front of the media to apologise immediately after the game like two naughty school boys.

And along with team fines, heavy punishment was to follow as Dyer was given a three-match ban and Bowyer, who had already been sent off that season, was given a seven-game ban by the FA and a £30,000 fine.

The current Charlton manager was also fined £600 and ordered to pay £1,000 costs after pleading guilty at Newcastle Magistrates Court to using threatening behaviour.

Bowyer has largely played down the incident as a moment of madness, while Dyer later went into more detail about the incident in a slightly more forthright fashion.

“Bow’s shirt was ripped down to his chest and he was still snarling and snapping and trying to get himself free. I was relatively calm, but I looked over at Bow again and he was frothing and raging.

“The punches didn’t hurt but by the time the fourth punch came in, I thought ‘f*** this’ and launched one back at him. Gareth Barry rushed in to restrain Bow and drag him away.

“Bow did have a nasty temper. He was quite laid back in many ways, but once he went, he really went. Sometimes, he boiled over, and when he did, you just had to stand back and watch the show.”

Taylor gaff goes under the radar

About the only Newcastle player or fan to take delight in the incident though was Taylor, who was already back in the dressing room and fearing a backlash for his sending off earlier in the game.

Little did he know that his two team-mates had totally stolen the show.

“I was thinking which player was going to get at me first and then I heard the studs coming down the tunnel," said Taylor.

“It was two of the players with the security guards and I was thinking what the bloody hell is going on here?

“Lee Bowyer’s come in and he’s got his shirt ripped, so I’m thinking Lee Bowyer has obviously had a fight with someone in their team on the pitch and Kieron Dyer, as a team-mate, has helped him out and looked after him.

“Until I heard Lee Bowyer say to Kieron Dyer ‘you can’t punch’.

“I walked into the players lounge and watched it on the plasma and when I had saw what had gone on, I’ll be honest, I was absolutely delighted.

“The pressure was taken right off me and the manager came in and dragged those two out to the media to explain themselves.

“The next day it was all about them and there was nothing about me until a week later when Soccer AM started continuously playing the clips."

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