February 20, (THEWILL) – Sheffield United manager, Chris Wilder, has been fined £11,500 by the England Football Association for comments made after his side’s 3-2 defeat away at Crystal Palace last month. The comments were deemed improper conduct that implied bias and attacked the integrity of the refereeing officials.
Wilder accepted the charge brought against him by the FA. An independent Regulatory Commission oversaw a hearing and decided on the financial penalty. The Blades boss made biting remarks about referee Tony Harrington’s performance in the match, which he labelled “ridiculous”.
Particularly galling for Wilder was spotting one of the assistant referees eating a sandwich while he went to speak with him after the final whistle at Selhurst Park. He told BBC Radio Sheffield that this showed “a complete lack of respect” from the official.
The FA statement outlined that Wilder’s comments constitute improper conduct in that they imply bias and attack the integrity of the referees. His rant also deemed to have brought the game into disrepute.
Wilder has previously been angered by decisions going against his side this season as they battle against relegation in their second EPL campaign. However, managers must be careful with any implications of bias made publicly, which the FA have clamped down on in this case.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
