English clubs ‘have paid a whopping £1.3MILLION this season for referee abuse… with one Premier League team well clear of the other 19 after copping £185,000 in FA fines for aggressive behaviour’
English professional clubs have splashed out a shocking £1.3million in fines for referee abuse this season, according to reports.
The FA, English football’s governing body, has collected £1,279,375 so far this campaign from more than 100 fines given to Premier League and English Football League (EFL) teams.
The staggering figures revealed by The Sun come shortly after Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic was shown a red card for barging referee Chris Kavanagh in his side’s 3-1 FA Cup defeat against Manchester United on Sunday.
Mitrovic, team-mate Willian (for a goal-line handball) and manager Marco Silva (for dissent) were all shown their marching orders in a bizarre 40 seconds at Old Trafford, with the Serb and Silva still yet to discover their potential sanctions.
The Sun add that 54 of the 92 sides have been hit with fines this season for foul-mouthed players and managers – with just five Premier League sides escaping punishment for it – just five years after Wembley re-launched its ‘Respect’ campaign.
English clubs have paid £1.3million in fines for referee abuse this season, according to reports
The news comes shortly after Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic (right) was sent off for barging ref Chris Kavanagh (left) in his side’s 3-1 FA Cup defeat against Man United on Sunday
Abuse of officials is a real problem throughout English football, with just five Premier League sides escaping punishment for the offence and 54 of the 92 pro clubs sanctioned for abuse
One top-flight club in particular is clear of the rest regarding fines for foul-mouthed tirades
And one top-flight club in particular is well clear of the rest when it comes to disappointing, aggressive on-field behaviour.
Arsenal top the Premier League table for fines as well as points.
The Gunners have already paid out £185,000 for the offence, after being charged with ‘failing to control their players’ on four different occasions.
Their manager Mikel Arteta has been criticised for his over-animated touchline behaviour and it seems his anger is rubbing off on his players.
Manchester United (£137,000) and Everton (£115,000) are in the dubious position of being second and third.
They are the only other sides to be forced to pay a six-figure sum for abuse.
The Prem’s 15 punished sides have reportedly been fined a total of £932,500.
However, that is expected to pass the million mark when the FA pass judgement on Mitrovic and Silva.
The biggest single fine this season was handed down to Manchester City, £75,000 on February 15, in their 3-1 win against Arsenal at the Emirates in a heavyweight title clash.
Senior FA officials are said to have written to all clubs to remind players, managers and coaches of their responsibilities.
The reminder comes at a crucial time, especially given stars’ behaviour is likely to be replicated at grassroots level, where violence towards refs is a genuine problem.
A spokesperson told the Sun: ‘Referees and match officials play vital roles in our national sport.
‘Any inappropriate behaviour towards them is completely unacceptable.
‘Players, coaches, support staff and club officials have a responsibility to treat them with respect, and action will be taken against anyone involved in English football where there is evidence that they have failed to meet that standard.’
Questions remain over whether the fines remain a real deterrent, given many players in Arsenal’s squad, for example, earn more every single week than the club was fined for their abusive behaviour.
