Aston Villa And Tottenham Fined Over FA Cup Confrontation

Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur have each been fined £125,000 after being found guilty of misconduct following a post-match confrontation during their FA Cup tie in January.

An independent Football Association Regulatory Commission ruled that both clubs breached FA Rule E20.1 by failing to ensure their players and technical staff did not behave in an improper or provocative manner after the final whistle of their FA Cup match on 10 January.

The charges, issued by The FA on 13 January, were designated as Non-Standard due to the serious and unusual nature of the incident and were considered together at a joint hearing held remotely on 23 January. Both clubs accepted the charges at the earliest opportunity and requested that the matter be dealt with without a personal hearing.

According to the Commission’s written reasons, the incident began immediately after the final whistle when Villa forward Ollie Watkins approached home supporters to celebrate. Tottenham midfielder Joao Palhinha then pushed Watkins multiple times, including with his head, towards the perimeter barrier, sparking a confrontation that quickly escalated.

Villa’s Morgan Rogers reacted aggressively to Palhinha’s actions, with additional players from both teams becoming involved. Video and CCTV footage showed players and technical staff sprinting towards the scene, resulting in a group of around 20 individuals gathering in the penalty area. While the confrontation involved pushing and shoving, no serious violence occurred and the situation de-escalated relatively quickly.

The Commission found that Tottenham bore marginally greater responsibility for triggering the incident, but concluded that both teams were equally to blame once the confrontation escalated. It rejected submissions from both clubs that the incident was at the lower end of the seriousness spectrum, citing the number of individuals involved, the high-profile nature of the televised fixture and the proximity of the incident to supporters as significant aggravating factors.

The Commission also highlighted the disciplinary histories of both clubs as aggravating. Aston Villa, in particular, were noted to have committed multiple previous breaches of Rule E20 involving mass confrontations across their senior and youth teams in recent seasons. Tottenham’s record was considered less severe, though still relevant.

In determining sanctions, the Commission applied the FA’s updated 2025–26 disciplinary guidelines, which introduce a £125,000 entry point for Non-Standard mass confrontation cases. Although the referee reported that match officials did not witness any misconduct at the time, the Commission relied heavily on extensive video evidence.

After considering aggravating and mitigating factors, including early admissions and apologies from both clubs, the Commission concluded that fines of £125,000 for each club were appropriate and proportionate. No order for costs was made, and both clubs retain the right to appeal under FA regulations.

The ruling reinforces The FA’s tougher stance on mass confrontations and underscores the expectation that clubs take greater responsibility for controlling player and staff conduct in high-pressure matches.

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