SIDELINED: The ban means that Alam Shah will play no part in Tampines' campaign in next year's S-League and Singapore Cup. -- ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM

Tampines lost 3-4.

Alam Shah is also fined $2,000 for his rash act, which saw Bennett spending a night under observation at Mount Alvernia Hospital.

The Football Association of Singapore disciplinary committee (DC) handed out the punishment yesterday evening after a 90-minute hearing.

Dressed in a white shirt and jeans and accompanied by Tampines team manager Syed Faruk, Alam Shah declined to comment on his sentence.

K. Bala Chandran, the chairman of the FAS disciplinary committee, said: 'The player had admitted to both charges.

'He gave his mitigation plea and, after discussion, we have decided to ban him from all FAS-sanctioned matches for 12 months with immediate effect.

'He will also be fined $2,000.'

This means that Alam Shah will play no part in Tampines' campaign in the S-League and Singapore Cup next season.

The 27-year-old was in the dock to answer two charges.

First, for 'violent conduct when he tackled Bennett and thereafter using his knee to hit Bennett's face, followed by a kick to Bennett's body'.

Second, for 'aggressive behaviour when he went towards match referee Abas Daud in an aggressive manner and was again aggressive towards FAS photographer Aundry Gan after the player had been escorted out of the field of play'.

Alam Shah has seven days to appeal.

It remains to be seen if the striker's ban will affect his place in the national team.

He is the country's leading scorer with 28 goals in 63 international appearances.

When contacted, Lions coach Raddy Avramovic and team manager Eugene Loo declined comment.

According to Bala Chandran, Alam Shah could not remember his outburst at the Jalan Besar Stadium a fortnight ago.

He said: 'In his mitigation, the player cannot recall what happened.

'And when he was shown a video of the incident, he was surprised by what he saw.'

The DC also looked at previous cases when considering its verdict.

In 2000, Tanjong Pagar United striker Nicodeme Boucher was banned one year for punching SAFFC defender Tan Kim Leng in the showers after a match.

Three years later, then-Sembawang Rangers defender Shariff Abdul Samat was suspended for nine months for punching Geylang United's Peter Bennett on the pitch and breaking his nose.

In coming to its verdict for Alam Shah, the DC cited the severity of his attack on Bennett.

'If you had seen the video, it was quite clear that the player was not playing the ball when he jumped at Bennett,' Bala Chandran explained.

'He went in with his knee and elbow. After both players landed, Alam Shah went on to knee Bennett in the face.

'Even after he was pulled away by other players, he returned to kick Bennett in the back.

'He also behaved aggressively towards the referee and photographer.'