Northern Ireland international Kelsie Burrows handed 16-match ban for alleged assault on match official

In partnership with

She Kicks Magazine

·5 August 2025

Kelsie Burrows has been handed a 16-match ban for an alleged assault on a match official (Daniela Porcelli /SPP)

Northern Ireland international Kelsie Burrows has received a 16-match ban for an alleged assault on a match official.

OneFootball Videos

The incident took place after Cliftonville’s 2-0 victory over Glentoran Women on July 25th.

It was Burrows’ first appearance since the start of May after missing a large portion of the season with an ankle injury.

Burrows is the captain of Belfast-based Cliftonville and was part of the Northern Ireland squad at Euro 2022.

The BBC have reported that Kelsie Burrows has been banned for 16 matches due to an alleged assault on a match official.

Burrows was sent off by referee Simon Bickerstaff after Cliftonville’s victory over Glentoran Women last month.

The incident came after the final whistle, leading to Burrows receiving a 16-match ban.

Head coach Brendan Lynch has also been handed a three-match ban after “entering the field of play to confront an official”.

Cliftonville and Burrows are yet to comment on the bans handed out to the Northern Ireland international or the club’s head coach.

However, Burrows’ impending ban is a massive blow for the club, who are eight points off leaders Glentoran with two games in hand.

(Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

Despite her 16-match ban, Kelsie Burrows is available to play in Friday’s Women’s Premiership game against Crusaders Strikers.

The ban is effective immediately and covers all competitions.

However, the BBC report that the club are appealing the decision, which means Burrows would be able to play in their next game.

The next football in Northern Ireland is in the Women’s Championship when Sion Swifts face Ballyclare Comrades.

Betting sites have Sion Swifts as 1/10 favourites to pick up the three points.

Kelsie Burrows joined Cliftonville in 2021 from Women’s Premiership rivals Linfield.

Earlier during her career, she also played for Blackburn Rovers during the 2019-20 season.

At Cliftonville, she helped the club win their first domestic title in 2022, before they completed a domestic treble in 2024.

Cliftonville are seven games into the 2025-26 season and sit third behind Glentoran and Linfield, however they have two games in hand on both clubs.

Since Burrows’ red card against Glentoran, she has featured for the club in the Women’s Champions League.

On August 3rd, Cliftonville were knocked out of the qualifying phase of the competition by Georgian side Lanchkhuti.