AVRAM Grant has been banned from the touchline for two games and fined £6,000 by the FA after comments he made about referee Mike Jones during West Ham's FA Cup defeat to Stoke City last month.

He was found guilty of improper conduct and will now be forced to sit in the stands for the Hammers' trip to Bolton Wanderers on Saturday and a home clash with Aston Villa the following week.

Grant suggested Jones had favoured Stoke in some of his decisions out of guilt for allowing Freddie Piquionne's controversial first-half goal to stand, after the striker had appeared to handle the ball in the build-up.

Grant said: “Until they scored (the second) goal he gave fouls, a penalty, everything for them.

“It was a penalty for us at the end which he didn't give. Maybe he felt a little bit guilty. I think it was the effect of the first goal for us.”