The amount Sheffield United have been fined by the FA already this season after sanction increased v Norwich City

The Blades have been punished three times by the game’s authorities since their season kicked off in early August, with their latest sanction coming after a coming-together of players from both United and Bristol City after a late horror tackle on James McAtee late in the victory at Ashton Gate.

Both clubs admitted a charge of ‘failing to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion’, with the Blades fined £12,000. City were ordered to pay £9,000. The Blades had to fork out £12,500 after a post-match melee against Blackpool saw both Wes Foderingham and Shayne Lavery sent off, and their challenge against a charge of breaching the FA’s Rule E20.1 saw their £5,000 fine handed down after their dramatic draw with Norwich City increased to £7,500 after the appeal was rejected.

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United were charged by the FA after four players were adjudged to have surrounded referee Josh Smith after his decision to award a late penalty to Norwich, with John Egan adjudged to have fouled Teemu Pukki. United denied the charge, disciplinary papers filed by the FA reveal, with football secretary Donna Fletcher supplying a letter outlining unspeficied ‘mitigating factors’ that United felt were relevant.

“The Commission watched the video footage and noted that, immediately following the Referee’s decision to award the penalty against SUFC he was surrounded by three SUFC players(no.12, no.2 no.15), who can clearly be seen occupying the Referee’s personal space, shouting and remonstrating at him,” the FA report read.

“These three players are then joined by the SUFC no.16. As the Referee tries to walk forward he is followed by those players who are blocking his way. At 0:38s of the second clip there are six SUFC players in close vicinity to the Referee and it takes around 40 seconds from the giving of the penalty for the SUFC players to start to disperse in order that the penalty can be taken.

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“Given the above, the Commission considered SUFC to have failed to ensure that its players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion. As such, the Commission found the Charge proven. The Commission did not feel that any of the mitigation put forward by SUFC carried sufficient weight so as to merit any reduction to the standard penalty. With the Charge proven the Commission, in line with that set out in the Charge Letter and in accordance with Standard Penalty 2, decided that SUFC should be fined the sum of £7,500.”

United, the document continues, have the right to appeal the decision, and manager Paul Heckingbottom has reminded his squad already this season about the dangers of picking up unnecessary yellow cards, with Oli McBurnie’s fifth of the season triggering a ban after arguing with a referee following the final whistle.

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“You’ve got to get your mate out of there,” Heckingbottom said last month. “If your mate is in trouble, then you want to stick up for him. But we have talked about not getting needless bookings, because those don’t help anyone.”

“If it’s a booking that helps the team, that’s different,” the United boss added. “If it’s players influencing things out there on the grass then forget about it, that happens. But if it’s avoidable, then we don’t need it.”

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