Why punished Carlisle United players were left out again

The Blues boss omitted Jordan Gibson and Alfie McCalmont from the squad for a third successive game on Saturday.

It came after the United boss revealed last week that a disciplinary process had concluded, leading to three players punished.

Carlisle have not named the players concerned but Gibson and McCalmont were again notable by their absence for the 1-0 defeat to Blackpool.

The disciplinary process followed a night out less than 48 hours before Easter Monday’s defeat to Lincoln City, Simpson saying players had been punished to the maximum level within Professional Footballers’ Association guidelines.

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Asked about their absence from Saturday’s squad despite having returned to training after a club suspension, Simpson said: “I felt as though they’d only trained a couple of days with the players – and I didn’t feel it was right to bring fellas back in who’d been disciplined.

“That’s why I went with what I did.

Alfie McCalmont, left, and Jordan Gibson, right, were left out of the squad for the third consecutive game (Image: Richard Parkes)

“We want all the players available who we believe are good first team players, but everybody has to understand there’s a code of conduct that has to be followed, not just at Carlisle United but as a professional footballer, and that code of conduct was broken by the players.

“It’s not what I want to do – it’s the first time I’ve had to deal with that type of scenario probably for 21 years.

“We have to count the heads for next week. I’m not ruling anybody out for being selected for the last two games but I felt that was the right thing to do, even though it weakened us as a group.

“There are expectations as professional footballers, those expectations…players went against them.

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“It’s been dealt with. Whether that cost us the game, it would be easy to say that, but I don’t think it is what cost us the game.”

Simpson said last Thursday that the three players involved – the third believed to be Corey Whelan, who is not on United’s squad list in the second half of the season – had apologised to him, and wanted to do so to team-mates and fans.

None of the players concerned has yet acknowledged the situation publicly.

With Carlisle suffering further injuries on Saturday – Jack Robinson is having an ankle injury assessed – there is the possibility Simpson could call on Gibson and/or McCalmont for next weekend’s final home game of the season against Wycombe Wanderers.

Asked if they stood a chance given the number of walking wounded at Brunton Park right now, the manager said: “Yeah, absolutely.

“I didn’t think that they should walk straight back into the squad [to face Blackpool]. As much as that probably weakened us, I think there’s a principle to it and a point that needs to be made.

“We’ll just have to see what next week brings.”