Sheffield United and Watford discover punishment for fracas after "punch" allegation in Bramall Lane clash
FA hand out punishments to Sheffield United and Watford after Blades allege “punches” sparked melees
Sheffield United have discovered their latest punishment from the Football Association after another charge over the behaviour of their players - with the Blades alleging that the trouble began after a Hornets player threw PUNCHES at one of their own men. United and Watford became embroiled in melees during and after the Blades’ 1-0 win at Bramall Lane earlier this month, with both sides subsequently sanctioned by the authorities.
Both clubs were dealt with together, rather than separately, owing to previous breaches of the FA’s rule E20.1, which covers the behaviour of players on the field. Both clubs admitted the charges after two incidents were sparked by a late coming together between United’s Harry Souttar and former Blade Daniel Jebbison, now of Bournemouth and on loan to Watford. The flashpoints were included in referee Andrew Kitchen’s match report, which said: “In the 94th minute of the match, numerous players from both sides were involved in a mass confrontation around the centre circle.
“Following the confrontation Sheffield United 6 (Harry Souttar) and Watford 18 (Daniel Jebbison) were both cautioned for unsporting behaviour. This has been submitted to The FA to check for any further misconduct. Following the full time whistle, numerous players from both sides were involved in a mass confrontation on the field of play. No disciplinary action was taken, and this has been submitted to The FA to check for any unseen misconduct.”
United were dealt with harshly by the commission because of their recent disciplinary record, which had seen four previous breaches of the same rule in the last five years and two this season alone after a similar fracas in the EFL Cup against Wrexham. The panel also mentioned how close some of those incidents had occurred: “For example, the three charges brought in the 2022/23 season all occurred within less than a month,” the panel said in the FA’s written reasons. “This pattern of behaviour displays a consistent failing by the club to control its players, despite its claims that they are addressing the issue.”
United alleged that the mass confrontation began after a Watford man - whose name was redacted - attempted to punch one of their own players twice, “which was not seen by any of that match officials [and] we believe this is the catalyst behind the mass confrontation.” But the commission rejected that version of events, finding that it was the actions of the unnamed United man - who, “in an effort to stop his opponent gaining an advantage, grabs [the Watford player] for a sustained period of time” - that kickstarted the unsavoury scenes.
The written reasons for the punishments also mention another unnamed United player “waving his arms, encouraging the crowd to get louder and be more passionate” while “players are attempting to calm down.” The panel did not find that to have “causative effect on the breaches ... however, it does demonstrate a lack of understanding of the responsibility that players have not to exacerbate such incidents.”
Watford, in contrast, have a clean record in terms of the E20 charge with no previous transgressions in the last five years and although the panel agreed that their players had been provoked, the Hornets were still charged. As a result they were fined the minimum Championship amount of £5,000 while United were hit with a £17,000 penalty - double the £8,500 punishment they received after admitting a breach of the same rule against Wrexham.