Independent Regulatory Commission makes judgement
- Huddersfield Town fined £70,000 by FA Independent Regulatory Commission
- Fine relates to scenes after Play-Off semi-final against Luton Town
- Comments from Operations Director Ann Hough
An independent Regulatory Commission has fined Huddersfield Town £70,000 for a breach of FA Rule E20.1 that took place at the end of our Sky Bet Championship Play-Off semi-final game against Luton Town on Monday 16 May 2022.
The charge admitted was that the Club failed to ensure its spectators – and all persons purporting to be its supporters or followers – conducted themselves in an orderly fashion, and refrained from using provocative, threatening, and violent behaviour whilst encroaching onto the pitch.
This sanction remains subject to appeal, and the independent Regulatory Commission’s written reasons for its decision will be published in due course.
Town’s Operations Director Ann Hough commented:
“The severity of this fine is a clear indication of just how serious the events following our Play-Off semi-final win against Luton, alongside other similar scenes across football in that time, have been taken by the governing bodies.
“We fully understand what a superb moment reaching the Play-Off Final was for our supporters and being able to celebrate together is a major part of being a fan. However, some individuals stepped way, way beyond that line on the evening.
“This is also why we constantly stress that nobody should be on the pitch other than the players and technical staff. There are genuine safety concerns about mass incursions of this nature, and the football authorities – and the Club – cannot stand by and wait until a serious injury occurs.
“We have no choice other than to take significant action against any individual that runs onto the field of play at any point, or who acts in a provocative, threatening, or violent way. That will range from bans from the John Smith’s Stadium to legal action. There is no place for that kind of behaviour at Huddersfield Town.
“On top of this significant fine, it is possible that this can also have financial knock-on effects on the Club’s policing and stewarding costs if our games are now judged to be higher risk than before. The financial impact should not be underestimated.
“The vast majority of our supporters are an absolute credit to the Club – I want to make that clear – but it is important that everyone understands the connotations of these events.”
This season, Huddersfield Town are supporting the FA, Premier League, EFL, and the Football Supporters Association to make football a safer and more welcoming environment, by cracking down on dangerous behaviour that can put fans, players, staff and match officials at risk. CLICK HERE to learn more.
