Both Watford and Sheffield United face FA misconduct charge.
Both Watford and Sheffield United have been charged with misconduct by the FA after scuffles just before and after the final whistle at Bramall Lane on Sunday.
There were a number of cases of groups of players coming together, as well as some individual confrontations.
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The charge from the FA reads as follows:
“Sheffield United and Watford have been charged with misconduct following their EFL Championship match on Sunday, 1 September.
“It’s alleged that both clubs failed to ensure their players did not behave in an improper and/or provocative way around the 94th minute and after the final whistle.
“Sheffield United and Watford have until Friday, 6 September, to provide their responses.”
This is a charge under FA Rule E20.1, which states:
‘Each Affiliated Association, Competition and Club shall be responsible for ensuring that its Directors, players, officials, employees, servants and representatives, attending any Match do not: behave in a way which is improper, offensive, violent, threatening, abusive, indecent, insulting or provocative.’
Late on in Saturday’s game an extremely late tackle by United’s Gus Hamer on the touchline near the dug-outs certainly fanned the flames, and the Blades midfielder was a touch lucky to get away with only a yellow card.
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Watford’s on-loan striker Daniel Jebbison was with United up until his summer move to Bournemouth, and was booed when he warmed up, again when he came on and then every time he went near the ball.
He also had to endure a rough ride from the home side’s gargantuan defender Harry Souttar but gave as good as he got, and the pair were involved in angry exchanges.
Before Sunday’s game, Blades boss and former Hornets head coach Chris Wilder had spoken to the media about Jebbison’s decision to leave Bramall Lane, and how he hoped the former player would get a “hostile” reception.
“He’s another one that wanted to play at a different football club. I respect that,” said Wilder last week.
“I hope we make it as hostile as possible and he gets a proper Bramall Lane reception. He’s an opposition player coming into our backyard on Sunday.”
After the final whistle the jostling and shoving continued, with staff and fellow players having to separate members of both teams.
“They were managing the game very well and that was frustrating for us, and there were a couple of heavy tackles,” said Tom Cleverley after the game.
“But if you take a bit of needle out of the game then I don’t think you’d be pleasing many fans.
“I think it was an entertaining game of football that probably boiled over a little bit too much.
“But for me it was nothing that overstepped the mark.”
Wilder also said he felt Sunday’s game stayed within the boundaries.
“I thought it was a really good game, a proper Championship game,” was how he described it.
“Lively too, tackles going in and players that want to play for their football clubs. I’ve got no issue about that and I don’t think either set of supporters will have either. It’s Championship football, I believe this is what it’s all about and you have to do a lot of things right to get a result.”
The standard fine for a Championship club to the offence is £5,000, but that can be increased if the FA deem it necessary.
United have only just found out their punishment for being charged with the same offence during their Carabao Cup tie with Wrexham last month.
On that occasion the fine was increased after the FA took into account the number of United players involved and their “very poor previous disciplinary record – both short and long term”.
United admitted the charge – as did Wrexham – with the Blades receiving an increased £8,500 fine during a hearing.
