Wes Brown Has Red-Card Ban Overturned by FA

Sunderland defender Wes Brown will be available for the club's match against Aston Villa on Saturday after the English Football Association overturned the ban associated with his red card in a loss to Stoke City last week.

The FA announced on its official site that the suspension was withdrawn immediately after further review from an independent regulatory commission:

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With regard to Brown, who was dismissed for serious foul play during Saturday's game at Stoke City, the claim was upheld. As a result, his three-match suspension has been withdrawn with immediate effect.

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Stuart Vose of Sunderland's club site passed along comments from manager Gus Poyet after the decision was announced. He said it was a frustrating situation, but removing the ban helps the Black Cats move past the situation for the Villa clash:

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Of course it was hugely frustrating to have Wes sent off, but we accept that officials are only human and like everyone, they can make mistakes.

Having the red card rescinded today goes some way to rectifying the error and we are delighted to have Wes available for Saturday’s game at Aston Villa.

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Brown was sent off before halftime of the Stoke match after the referee deemed a challenge on Charlie Adam excessive and handed out a straight red. The Potters led 1-0 at the time and 10-man Sunderland couldn't mount a comeback in the 2-0 defeat.     

The loss was disappointing for a club coming off a huge win over Manchester City and already trying to battle out of the relegation zone. The fact the call of Brown was controversial at best only made the situation worse.

Although the tackle happened quickly, it appeared Brown actually made a solid play to slide tackle the ball away from Adam while making limited contact. The referee obviously saw it differently in real time without the benefit of replay and made the harsh decision.

The FA's decision won't change the Stoke result, but it ensures Sunderland won't be missing one of their most reliable players for the next three matches.