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Sheffield United have been fined £180,000 following a post-match altercation during their recent Championship clash against Plymouth Argyle, marking their sixth disciplinary breach of the season. The Football Association (FA) has expressed concern over what it described as an "incredibly poor period of behaviour" by the club.
The latest fine brings the total amount Sheffield United have had to pay this season to £445,500 due to multiple infractions involving improper conduct from players and staff. Prior to this, the club had already incurred £265,500 in penalties for incidents linked to fixtures against Wrexham, Watford, Portsmouth, Coventry City, and Bristol City.
Plymouth Argyle, the opposing side in the most recent incident, have also been penalised, receiving a £7,500 fine following a decision by an independent disciplinary commission.
The events unfolded on 12 April at Home Park, where Plymouth overturned a deficit with two late goals to secure a dramatic 2-1 victory, dealing a blow to Sheffield United’s promotion hopes.
Following the final whistle, Blades manager Chris Wilder was involved in a heated exchange with Plymouth players Mustapha Bundu and Darko Gyabi, an incident that escalated from the pitch into the tunnel before being subdued by security personnel.
In its case to the commission, the FA stated: "It is concerning that the club have been unable to improve its control over players and staff following the previous five breaches this season.
"Plainly, reminders from various sources as to the expected standards of behaviour have proven insufficient to affect change in the participants' behaviour.
"The club must demonstrate a robust response to addressing the incredibly poor period of behaviour by its participants."
The commission's findings were particularly scathing of Wilder’s conduct, noting he had addressed his team on the pitch before turning “overly aggressive” toward Gyabi and Bundu. The situation intensified inside the tunnel, where his behaviour continued.
"The commission also considered a significant aggravating feature was Mr Wilder's conduct, which the commission considers was provocative and a contributory cause of the mass confrontation," the report stated.
Both clubs acknowledged their failure to control players and staff around the tunnel area after the match, as alleged by the FA. Consequently, an independent Regulatory Commission levied fines of £180,000 on Sheffield United and £7,500 on Plymouth Argyle.
Featured Image Credit: Unsplash / Christopher Bill, X / @SheffieldUnited
