GRAEME SOUNESS has refused to guarantee Lee Bowyer a long-term future at Newcastle United after the midfield player was suspended for a further three matches over his on-pitch brawl with Kieron Dyer. With the manager conceding that the club’s ceaseless courting of controversy is now “not sustainable” — a new code of conduct will follow a purge of players this summer — Bowyer’s position is tenuous.

After the incident at St James’ Park on April 2, when Bowyer and Dyer were sent off, Bowyer received an automatic four-match ban for his second domestic red card of the season, which was increased at yesterday’s FA disciplinary hearing. Bowyer, 28, who had admitted a charge of violent conduct, was also fined £30,000. “I got a fair hearing,” he said.

Bowyer, docked six weeks’ wages by his club, will be unavailable until the match away to Everton on May 7. “I want to concentrate on getting back playing football,” he said. Both he and Dyer have been interviewed under caution by Northumbria Police officers investigating their altercation during Newcastle’s 3-0 defeat by Aston Villa and criminal charges may be brought. There were no promises from Souness, who, in eight months on Tyneside, has seen the club lurch between crisis and disaster.

“I can’t assure anyone they have a future here next year,” he said. “Lee is a very good player and would be hard to replace, but we have to make considerable changes.”

Since succeeding Sir Bobby Robson, Souness has been confronted by an extraordinary list of mishaps, including ushering Dyer to a police station for urinating in a street, being accused of “lying” by Craig Bellamy and the Dyer-Bowyer rumpus. The club have also been struck by a swath of injuries and last week went out of two cup competitions.

“It’s not sustainable,” Souness said. “You’re never going to achieve success if you’re constantly dogged by the things we’ve been dogged with. It’s been a sharp learning curve. I’ve been in the business for 37 years and there have been a few firsts. Things seem to happen every week, but we’ll learn from it.

“Whether it’s because of things we introduce or different personnel I don’t know, but it has to end. I’m Scottish and we have a trait of shooting ourselves in the foot and we’ve been guilty of the same.”