Alan Pardew head-butt: Newcastle United manager enlists help of life coach in search of 'redemption'
The Newcastle manager received a seven-match ban for head-butting Hull's David Meyler
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Your support makes all the difference.Alan Pardew will use a life coach to help him prevent a repeat of his infamous head-butt on Hull City's David Meyler as he embarks on a seven-match ban which he hopes will be a "period of redemption".
Although an unnamed first-team squad member placed a pair of boxing gloves on his desk soon after, Pardew now has the serious task of rebuilding his reputation after earning a £160,000 fine, a three-game stadium ban and a four-game touchline ban for his actions at the KC Stadium on 1 March.
To that end he will seek professional help to deal with his temper and the unique pressure of managing Newcastle United. This was a key part of the 52-year-old's defence when he faced the independent commission that handed out the sanctions at Wembley on Tuesday.
He will look to use the management counselling skills of a life coach following helpful advice from various people. "I've spoken to a few CEOs who have management counselling in terms of how to do their job better," he said. "I have spoken to [League Managers Association chief executive] Richard Bevan who has been a great help in terms of finding someone who is going to work for me, and just bounce ideas off.
"The big question for me when this incident happened is, 'How am I going to be a better manager out of it?' I don't want to be a worse manager, I don't want to lose that drive and passion that I have, but I am going to channel it a little bit better.
"I was disappointed in myself. I'm an experienced manager and I shouldn't have got in that situation. I've had a lot of games, I think this might be my 200th Premier League game, and I've been involved in lots of situations and never got myself in that predicament. It's something you look at and go, 'That can't happen again'. Maybe it's a period of redemption for myself."
Pardew was pilloried for the clash with Meyler and he admitted the immediate period afterwards was difficult. "I had lots of messages of support, not that I deserved sympathy but it was still nice to have that support, from colleagues in the game and from friends and family," he added.
"I had a pair of boxing gloves in my changing room. That was a typical training ground reaction. It was gallows humour, but when all is said and done, it is not a laughing matter."
He will address his players in the team hotel in London tomorrow, shortly before they board the coach to Craven Cottage. He will then watch the game with Fulham in a room with a club sport's analyst but there will be no contact with anyone from Newcastle until he links up with them after the game. His assistant John Carver will be in charge of the team.
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