Leeds United’s 3-0 win over Watford at Elland Road may result in yet another FA sanction after a missile was observed being fired into the field.
According to Leeds Live (23 September), 38 minutes into the match, a projectile that appeared to be an e-cigarette device fell into the field and had to be removed by referee Jeremy Simpson.
After sustained homophobic chants were heard from Leeds fans during Brighton’s game at Elland Road last season, the club was forced to pay the FA £150,000. In September 2022, a £25,000 fine was issued following an incident against Barnsley in the League Cup that resulted in conflict between players from both clubs.
In light of the incident on Saturday (23 September) against the Hornets, Leeds could have to reach into their pockets again and hand more unnecessary money to the FA.
While many clubs have to pay fines to the FA for various reasons, often inappropriate chanting from fans or the club’s inability to control staff, Leeds have faced their fair share of penalties.
The Athletic reported (21 April) that money paid to the FA from Premier League and EFL clubs totalled £2.6million last season, most of which were for violations of Rule E20, “which broadly outlines that it is a club’s responsibility to ensure players, staff and supporters behave accordingly.
Everton paid a punishment of £415,000 last season, so the Whites are obviously not the worst offenders among English clubs, but the club will be eager to dramatically cut their fines.
Fortunately, the incident at Elland Road against Watford had no impact on the security of the players and fans, but the club will be upset that a fan at the game today might issue them another fine.
Time will tell, and although this offense is not even close to the worst sanctionable incident in the previous year, the money could have been better used elsewhere, which would have put a tiny damper on the victory.
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