Sheffield United have been fined £40,000 for failing to control their players during last month’s 0-0 draw at Portsmouth – a third such punishment already this season ahead of this evening’s meeting with Leeds United.
The Blades are due at Elland Road this evening for what looks set to be a feisty Yorkshire derby. Both sides have the chance to go top of the Championship and so will leave it all on the pitch, with plenty of added spice from a summer in which the two promotion rivals clashed on transfer business.
Meetings between the two have often been action-packed and Sheffield United have not been afraid to get stuck in, at points to the detriment of their finances. Having been fined £8,500 for a confrontation against Wrexham and £17,000 for a clash against Watford, the Blades have now been hit with a third sanction.
The South Yorkshire club have been punished for failing to control their players after full-time at Fratton Park, with several Blades surrounding the referee after the full-time whistle was blown as they shaped up to take a free-kick. Portsmouth players rushed in and goalkeeper Will Norris was knocked to the ground.
An FA Spokesperson said: “Sheffield United and Portsmouth have been fined £40,000 and £6,000 respectively for a mass confrontation at their EFL Championship match on Saturday 28 September. Both clubs subsequently admitted that they failed to ensure their players did not behave in an improper and provocative way after the final whistle.”
A feisty Friday on the cards
While questions can be asked regarding the discipline of Chris Wilder’s side, it is certain they give as good as they get and this evening’s Yorkshire derby is likely to bring confrontation. There was plenty of needle between the two clubs over the summer surrounding Leeds’ interest in Gustavo Hamer.
Having already plucked Jayden Bogle from Bramall Lane, Leeds reportedly made a £13 million offer to purchase Hamer.made a £13 million offer to purchase Hamer. – a number which the South Yorkshire club viewed as derisory. Wilder questioned the motive behind that offer before reports from local media in Sheffield suggested a player-plus-cash deal involving Joel Piroe was mooted by Elland Road recruitment chiefs.
Leeds strongly denied those claims and insisted their initial offer was an amount they thought Hamer was worth. Speaking in his pre-game press conference, Wilder spoke fondly of Leeds and suggested Friday’s game doesn’t hold the same hostility as those between his side and Sheffield Wednesday.
“When you come from Sheffield… it’s not hostile, it’s not Sheffield United v Sheffield Wednesday, it’s not Leeds v Man U, it’s not Man U v Liverpool… it’s not that,” Wilder told the star. “But there is that edge. We have always felt that we are maybe in their shadow a little bit and football wise, what they have achieved as a football club, maybe it would be a bit different if there was one team in this city but there isn’t, there’s two big teams and there’s a huge team in the city of Leeds.
“I know there’s a bit of pantomime in terms of what I said over the period [when Sheffield United won promotion ahead of Leeds]. Maybe not the wisest words when you have just got promotion and you are about three or four hours in, in terms of the celebrations. They will hold that against me personally, but it’s not an issue for me. I respect and know what a huge club that is and what a massive challenge we have got on our hands on Friday night.”
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