THE disciplinary rod of Accra Hearts of Oak Management Committee has fallen heavily on two key players of the club for misconduct during last Sunday’s league match against city rivals, Great Olympics, at the Accra Stadium.

The affected players, Charles Taylor and Edmund Copson, have had to forfeit their ?1m each winning bonus as sanction for their acts which management described as unacceptable.

In two separate letters to the players signed by the acting Chief Executive of the club Mr Thomas Okine, it warned of severer sanctions if such misconduct is repeated in future.

According to the letter, Copson changed over into mufti when the battle had not yet ended, coupled with some unsavoury comments from him following his early substitution by Coach Herbert Addo.

In the case of Taylor, his offence was the avoidable red card he attracted, thus placing the team at a great disadvantage in the said match.

“At continental club level, the pedestal on which you currently stand, with two CAF gold medals, as well as the enormous goodwill you now enjoy among Ghanaians, should be well utilized in creating a sportsman out of a player,” the letter stressed.

It revealed, however, that the punishment could have been severer, in view of two similar on-field misconducts this year, but for the fact that this was actually his first offence in the 2002 season.