A FOOTBALL club manager has been given a five-match ban and ordered to pay a £75 fine for sending out abusive messages on Twitter about another team.

Dan Trenkel, player/manager at Great Wakering Rovers, tweeted the extraordinary messages about FC Romania while watching controversial Channel 4 documentary Benefits Street.

Trenkel, who this year led his team to the Essex Senior League championship, was punished by the Football Association’s governance team using its rules and regulations on the use of social media.

He will miss the games at the start of next season. His Twitter account has been deactivated since he made the tweets in January, shortly after beating FC Romania.

In a statement, Great Wakering Rovers said: “Comments made were deemed offensive and abusive in manner and, therefore, in breach of this rule.

“The FA panel agreed the minimum available punishment of a five-game ban and a £75 fine were suitable punishment in respect of the offence.

“Although Trenkel remains adamant most of the content/comments on a third party site are false, he does not want the incident dwelled upon.

“The ban he received was for misusing social media and nothing more.

“However, an unreserved apology was made to both FC Romania and Haringey FC before the hearing and Trenkel understands how his words could have been misconstrued.

“Trenkel will attend a course surrounding the appropriate use of social media in football.

“He has also invited FC Romania to Burroughs Park for a pre-season friendly.”

Mr Trenkel, who made his 402nd appearance for the club when they won the league on Saturday, allegedly tweeted a host of offensive comments in January.

According to a Romanian blog about the incident, he allegedly tweeted: “Half of FC Romania team on benefits street tonight it seems #dirtydiving*******.”

Then alongside a screenshot of a man saying life in Romania was better, he tweeted: “Well **** off back there you poncing scrounging robbing *****.”

The remarks were reported to league officials by Aki Achillea, chairman of Haringey Borough FC, who spotted them on Twitter.

Ion Vintila, chairman of FC Romania said: “I was surprised when I saw that a football manager could use those words about my players and Romanians in general.

“I was very disappointed. It was a normal football game when we played which they deserved to win.

“It is the first time we have seen such comments since we formed. I’m sure he regretted what he said about us.”